A Tale of Two Warriors
by Davesknd
Summary: A young Tenno finds a corrupted Grineer Ballista, who maintained her personality. A weird relationship develops as both find their preconceived notions challenged. Rated M for girl-love in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Warframe and all its concepts don't belong to me. This story uses spoilers from the game's lore, so don't read if you haven't played the later missions.**

 **This story will include adult themes at a later time. Slow boils best. Read, Review and enjoy!**

Few things were better suited to send a shiver down the spine of even the most venerated Tenno warrior than the sight of the Orokin Derelict floating in the silence of space. It was a testament to the nightmarish greed of the Infestation, of its mindless competence to corrupt even the most shining beacons of technology and civilization. It had become and ugly, unsorted and tumorous abomination. Even the small, cumbersome Orbiter that circled it right now seemed gracious in comparison.

Slowly, something else came into view as well. It was the crude, rough shape of a Grineer survey craft, embedded into one of the tentacle-esque outgrows of the Derelict.

"It seems that my calculations were correct, Operator!" Cephalon Sicarius said with a bit of audible cheer in his voice "They really launched a survey mission into this death-trap! They were either trying to enter the Derelict through the outgrowth, they were trying to study the mass itself or they wanted to get rid of a ship worth of crew. Hard to tell with them sometimes. Either way, it's a great opportunity for us."

"Sicarius is right, Tenno." The Lotus added "Grineer use primitive data storage, too cruse to be of interest for either the Infested or the Orokin guardians. You should be able to find useful data."

Ria nodded. The young Tenno operator didn't hide her relief. Compared to her last visits to the Derelict, this mission sounded like a holiday. With a flicker of her will, her Warframe sprung to life. It was a Rhino, heavily modded and venerated in a thousand battles. Moments later, the frame was aboard the Lith and heading towards the Grineer vessel.

"Sensors indicate almost no heat signatures. The Infested's focus must be firmly on the Orokin ship." The cephalon mused during the flight.

The Lith shook and screamed as it forced its way through several tons of warped steel and deformed cogs before the Rhino was finally dropped inside of the vessel. Ria entered combat position, Panthera at the ready, eager to saw through infested and Grineer alike. But only silence greeted her. She made her way slowly and methodically through the craft, clearing every room and leaving no door or container unopened. Often, her Rhino had to use its massive strength to pull blast door open or abuse the Panthera to saw through bulkheads as the vessel was almost entirely without power.

"The spore levels are really low…" Ria noted after a quick look at her scanner "With the air filters offline, I would have expected the place to overflow with them."

"A keen observation, Tenno. Grineer ships often have very crude and mechanic life-support. If the gravity is still functioning, then the air filters should have power as well." Lotus explained "You are approaching the source of heat. Keep your wits about you."

Ria sighed. Lotus could ever end a conversation without warning her. Still, she braced herself. The Panthera's blade screamed as she cut through the blast door and with a heavy kick, the Rhino entered a different world.  
Ivory and gold glittered around Ria. The rusty, crude steel of the Grineer vessel was replaced with beautiful panels and decorations. Opulence and beauty instead of crude pragmatism. For a moment, Ria wondered if she had stumbled into the Orokin ship but Lotus knew better.

"IT seems as if wayward Orokin maintenance drones have found their way to the ship and are attempting to *repair* it."

"Seems more as if they just randomly plaster over it…" Ria noted, her eyes on places where the old electronics were poking out from below the ivory platings and where elegant systems had been plunged into crude tubes. "So, I guess we can assume that the crew is wearing shiny headgear and are fighting Infested on the main ship."

"A reasonable observation." Lotus answered "Tenno, the proximity sensors are picking up movement on the hab-deck. Find the source, leave no survivors."

The Rhino turned around. Inside, Ria smiled to herself. Playing investigator and following clues had its charm. Spending a few productive hours without constant bloodshed was a rare treat for a Tenno these days. Carefully made the Warframe its way through the corridors. Ria didn't want to get jumped by corrupted. Even a single Grineer Lancer could be a threat when imbued with Orokin technology. She turned a corner and found something on the floor. The remains of an Orokin drone. It was peculiar in two ways. Firstly because it had the tell-tale signs of infestation. Even metal was deformed with irregular bulbs and boils, while fleshy tendrils grew through the electronics. Secondly, it had been shot with a large calibre rifle. Several times, in fact.

"Look at the exit point, Tenno." Lotus mused "There are holes in the flooring and the servo fluid marks. The drone was shot after it has seized to function."

"There are more… Whoever did this really hated these drones."

"The only thing that Grineer don't hate is other Grineer." Cephalon Sicarius added sourly.

Ria followed a small trail of ruined drones. The hits were precise and of a huge calibre, very likely a Grineer Ballista.

"Tenno, movement on the sensors. It's coming from inside that locker room. Approach with caution."

The Rhino slowly drew its Heat Sword. Inside a cramped space, the ricochet of the Panthera could damage the warframe. Close combat usually won for a Tenno. Ria braced herself and opened the door. As soon as she had passed the threshold, a locker fell onto her. A crude booby trap. A human would have been hurt, a warframe would have been annoyed, a Rhino hardly noticed.

Almost instantly, gold, grey and ivory moved behind a toppled locker. A barrel was pointed at her. Ria raised her sword. If she deflected the first shot, she wouldn't have to worry about being hit on the way. In the seconds of focus, she could see the Ballista's eyes behind her Vulkar. Something had torn the face plate off her helmet. She looked tired.

"Tenno scum!" The Grineer yelled and squeezed the trigger.

*Click*

*Click*

*Click*

Deafening silence followed as the Ballista looked over her rifle. Despair set her free. She let out a laugh. Then another. And another. And within seconds, she was laughing so loud and hard, she had to hold her sides.

"Complete your mission, Tenno." Lotus said.

"No, we are changing the plan. Secarius, ready a cell on the orbiter." Ria ordered calmly.

"Tenno, I see no reason to take a prisoner." Lotus noted coldly.

"She is obviously corrupted." Ria said as she approached the laughing woman "But crude traps and cussing isn't what I call typical for Orokin slaves. I want to know how she can think freely."

"I have prepared a cell, Operator." The cephalon said eagerly.

Ria nodded. The Ballista didn't resist or seize to laugh as the warframe defragmented her body and transferred her to the dropship. The Rhino followed soon after, having collected the data and prepared the self-destruct of the Grineer vessel. For a few more minutes, silence reigned on the ship.


	2. Chapter 2

**Warframe belongs to other people. I just play around in their backyard and hope they don't mind.**

 **This chapter was both fun and tough to write. And yes: I used a silly cop-out to spare myself the nightmare of writing in Grineer.**

 **Read, Enjoy and Review. The order is up to you**

* * *

„Operator, I'm analysing the obtained data as we speak! It seems, the Grineer were trying to *mine* the less active parts of the Infestation for research. At least one of their scientists speculated that the aggressive genome could be used to repair damages to the Grineer stock. Crude but pragmatic, like most of their thinking." Cephalon Sicarius explained happily as Ria entered her Orbiter. She sighed. Secarius was a peculiar Cephalon. It seemed so desperate to please, she sometimes wondered, it might enjoy being congratulated. Something that these machines were not supposed to do.

"Good, give me a full report after you have analysed all the data. " Ria ordered as her frame did the usual routine with her foundry and inventory. "How is our guest?"

"In deep slumber." Sicarius answered quickly "She fell over as soon as the transport was complete. If we trust her melatonin levels, she must have been awake for days. Other vitals are within healthy parameters. I took the liberty to remove her weapons, armour and bionic limbs and dressed her in a series 2 jumpsuit." There was a pause and Ria hoped that she only imagined the heavy breathing. Finally, Sicarius continued. "The Orokin corruption did a remarkable job on her. Passive analysis shows that many genetic deformities have been smoothed out, compensated or reversed. The necessary Grineer implants have been streamlined or replaced by improved ones. Before the process, she was basically incapable to remove her armour for an hour without risking kidney failure. But now she is the healthiest Grineer that ever walked the origin system." Sicarius voice suddenly trembled "Operator! Please allow me to analyse her prostheses! The improvements are remarkable, the neural interfaces so delicate… I need to-"

"Yes, Sicarius, analyse them, but don't take them apart!" Ria ordered. She had noticed that Sicarius had a healthy dose of admiration for Orokin technology, but she never realized how healthy it was. Better throw him a bone and the Grineer wouldn't need them while she was asleep. "Sleep sounds good…" Ria mumbled to herself. She was still young and the strain of piloting a Warframe laid heavily on her. "Sicarius, plot a course for Vesper Relay, I'll take a nap." She left her Warframe, glad to feel the air with her real skin again. As she walked through the ship, she stopped at a screen. "Give me a live feed from the cell. I want to make sure, she is fine." The Tenno ordered.

The screen flickered to the inside of the cell.

Ria bit her lip. Her prisoner was laying on the cot, sleeping tightly. The Tenno zoomed a bit closer. Sicarius hadn't used hyperbole. The grotesque bumps and bloated flesh that warped the form of most Grineer were gone. So were the crude plugs and cumbersome implants. The figure on the screen had the form of a woman. A very beautiful woman. Her face was scarred, but retained a rugged beauty through full lips and strong cheekbones. Her skin had lost the pale squalor of cloned flesh and taken a healthy tan, contrasted by her short platinum-blonde hair. Knowing the Grineer's usual look, a fresh addition. The tight jumpsuit lovingly hugged her big, round breasts, the flat stomach and wide hips that gave her a wonderful hourglass figure. Ria licked her lips as her eyes traced the beautiful form. The broad shoulders, buxom thighs and what was probably an amazing ass. For a moment she seriously considered fetching one of those drones herself if they gave you this kind of a built.

It wasn't all fun though. Her right arm ended in a stump and both legs of her jumpsuits were empty from the knees down.

"Operator?" Sicarius asked and tore Ria out of her *thoughts*. "Is something amiss? You have been inspecting the cell for more than two minutes."

"Yes, the cell!" the young Tenno blurted out. "Erm… make sure she can reach the water with only one hand… I'll go to sleep! Wake me when we arrive or the guest wakes up!"

"Of course, Operator! Thank you for reminding me about the water."

"Tenno. I hope this little pet-project will not distract you from your mission." The Lotus noted calmly.

"Not finding out would distract me more, Lotus." Ria said annoyed as she walked to her bedroom.

The Orbiter's bedroom wasn't much bigger than the holding cell. It was only used for sleeping and hosted just a bed, a closet for personal items and clothing as well as a mirror. Today, Ria couldn't help but give the mirror a dirty glare. It dared to remind her of how she looked. It reminded her of her small, waifish stature. Of her flat chest and small butt. It reminded her of the fact that the hope of blossoming into a ripe and buxom woman was dying a slow death. That her chocolate skin and "cute" face were the only things about her that she considered pretty. It reminded her of how short the straw was that she had drawn, when beauty had been served. It reminded her that every single female Warframe model was sexier than her. No wonder she only piloted male frames, even though she owned all parts for both a Saryn and a Mirage. But she'd never pilot either of these sluts!

* * *

"Operator! Beep Boop! Please, wake up!"

Ria stirred. Sicarius' voice could tear anyone from even the deepest slumber. "Are we there yet?" she asked groggily.

"No, operator, the second perimeter has occurred!" the cephalon said quickly while Ria began dressing herself. "Our prisoner woke up. I have to warn you, she is not cooperating! Though I will take full responsibility for her rage. I acted on my own judgement as I assessed the situation as an emergency."

"What did you DO?" The young Tenno growled as she sped up.

"Removing all of the prisoner's prosthetics has proven to be unwise. Apparently humanoids need more than one functioning limb to use the lavitron."

"Void be damned! Sicarius, did you give them back?"

"I saw not need, operator. I used the gravity controls and the Helios sentinel to nudge her into position."

"The same Helios that looks like a camera?!"

"So that's why she kept screaming!" Sicarius said with honest relief. "She is back in bed now. But very angry."

Ria cussed under her breath. Sicarius was very eager to please but sometimes, he was not very good at it. For a moment, she considered just opening a channel to the cell and talking to the captive directly, but she scrapped that idea. Most Grineer only knew the Warframes as Tenno and had no idea who was piloting them. Looking into the eyes of a girl that barely reached her shoulders would at best confuse her. "Which one do I send in?" Ria pondered on her way to the transference room. "The Rhino probably left a bad taste in her mouth. The Oberon in too imposing, the Ash is disgusting, the Loki is just weird… Void, why are there no frames that look nice and soothing?"

She finally decided on the Excalibur, hoping that smooth masculine features were not too threatening and had the cephalon prisoner in advance, so she could gather her bearings.

Ria prepared for the worst and the Excalibur entered the cell.

If looks could kill, it would have disintegrated instantly. The Grineer was sitting on the cot and glared maxed out Heat Daggers into the Warframe's chest. Finally, Ria could see those tired, orange and black eyes again, but now, they were full of hate. The Tenno was grateful for the lack of facial features on her Warframe. It wasn't easy resisting that glare. Even crippled and alone, the woman was imposing. If she had her legs, she'd easily reach 2 meters of height and the weight of her armour had given her broad shoulders.

"Tenno! What have you done to me?" The woman hissed angrily. It was clear and plain basic. Hardly a grain of the Grineers aggressive language.

"A malfunction in the ship's AI." Ria said in Excalibur's deep voice and bowed deeply "My appologies, there is no excuse to treat guests so poorly."

The woman scoffed loudly. "Not that, Tenno scum!" Her lone hand went to her throat. "My voice! My speech! My body, my face! What have you done?"

"It appears that the Orokin's love for aesthetics goes beyond visuals." Sicarius whispered in Ria's head "I theorize a combination of electric stimuli and hypnotic suggestions to clear her language centre as well as minor throat alterations to make it more melodic. What an amazing eye for detail, don't you think?"

"You were captured by the automated defences of the Orokin vessel." Ria said slowly "These drones optimize their victims to serve as better guards for their long-gone masters."

"Optimize?" The woman spat "I am Grineer! I was perfect!"

"Common lower-rank Grineer propaganda. Her batch of clones has at least 5 fatal birth defects that their scientists are desperately trying to correct. Her legs show no sign of amputation and her liver produces half the hormones that are needed for a physiological organism. They wouldn't survive a minute without rigorous compensation." Sicarius added quickly. Good that the Grineer couldn't hear him.

"I am not here to discuss which state of being is preferable to you." Ria said as firmly as possible. It was obvious which state the Tenno preferred.

"Then get this shit over with and interrogate me, Tenno!" The Grineer said with a huff. "I have nothing to tell you and I'm looking forward to being executed."

Now it was really good that her Warframe had no face. A gaping open mouth wouldn't have helped her being intimidating. "Execution?" she asked with fake amusement.

"Don't insult me, Tenno." The Grineer spat "I have battled your kind once. You cut through my kin like a Miter through air. And I prefer death to the distinction of disgrace."

Ria felt no shame. She had killed an endless amount of Grineer and she would do so again. They were legion and more than eager to wage a war of genocide against the whole system. Tenno were warriors and showed mercy only to those who deserve it. Another detail caught her attention. "Distinction?"

"I am Grineer! I am of one! We all share the same genes, the same face, the same being! Only through deeds may we distinguish ourselves, never through anything else!" The Grineer said firmly, like it was something she had heard again and again. "I live for conquest and I serve the queens! Grineer is duty!"

"Why?" Ria couldn't catch herself from asking.

The woman looked at her as if she had just been asked why she breathed air. Her lips began to move, but soon shock took over. "What have they done to me?" she muttered, terror invading her features.

The Tenno could only stare quietly as the strength and colour drained from her captive's face. It was bizarre to see the towering woman tremble on the cot and covering her chest with her one hand.

"The need…" she whispered audibly "The urge… the purpose… I.. they took it." Tears began to fill her black eyes. "I… I'm ruined. Without the purpose… I…"

"The Grineer are implanted with an unending urge to please their queen right after creation." Sicarius said sombrely "It's the thing that allowed them to conquer so much of the system. Those who resist it or are resistant to this conditioning are branded traitors and end up executed. Only a few survive and usually join Steel Meridian."

Ria felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She had only seen an ugly duckling becoming a beautiful swan. Not once had she considered what a massive violation such a change must have been. The Orokin drones had not just given her a make-over, they had rewritten her genetic code, rearranged her mind and shaped her body into something entirely alien to her kind. It was one thing to give them a clean death but making her go through this… it made the Tenno feel bad. A small part of her wanted to ditch the Warframe and give the woman a hug. Tell her that it was fine. But that was a weakness she could not afford.

"You will be provided with nutrients and water by the ship's computer." Ria stated blankly. "Once our research is complete, you will also receive your arm and legs. Should you need anything, cephalon Sicarius will provide for you. That includes all leisure and recreational facilities of this room. While you are confided for now, you are my guest." She turned to leave.

The woman looked at Ria in shock. "What? No! Don't leave me like this!" she yelled, scuffling forward. The sound of a falling body went through the Tenno like a lightning strike. It hurt her probably as much as the Grineer. "Tenno!"

Ria forced herself to remain calm and took another step.

"I killed your kind!"

The Warframe stopped.

"It was on Mars! On Ares! It was a woman, her body split like day and night! She had killed my platoon, taken my arm… she left me for dead and began to work on our reactor. I crawled over my slaughtered sister and aligned both of our Vulkars."

Ria could almost taste the rage in the air.

"The first shot tore through her shield… the second through her head."

The Excalibur turned. Before it lay a broken woman. Crippled, alone, scared, violated and desperately trying to enrage her captive to end her suffering.

"The ship's records mention a venerated Ballista with one Tenno kill on her record and her arm was amputated." Sicarius said quietly.

Ria kneeled down, her eyes on the woman's. "What is your name?" she asked calmly.

Rage, confusion, desperation… it was hard to pin down the emotion in those orange circles. "Sindr."

"Well, Sindr, you have just gotten much more interesting to me." Ria had the Excalibur reach out and push the prone woman around until she was on her back. "Your death would be a detriment to my cause and more importantly, a waste. It takes a lot to kill one of us." The warframe shifted a bit and reached under Sindr's body. She resisted at first, but one arm was too little against the Excalibur. Ria scooped the woman up in its arms, holding her like firmly. "And once I know all I want to know. And if you still wish to die then… then you may die. But it will be by your own hands, not mine." The Warframe carried her to the cot and gently let her down.

Sindr looked up and there was only sadness in her eyes. "What is your name?" she asked timidly.

The Excalibur turned around and walked towards the door. Before crossing the threshold, it turned its head. "You may call me Ria." Then it left and the door closed.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Warframe doesn't belong to me.

A few notes: Ria is not the operator. Oh, she is an operator, but she is not THE OPERATOR. She is not the character that he player controls in the game. That means that she didn't do certain quests, doesn't have flashy Key 5 powers and she didn't get a personal hug from Lotus. Oh, and your character probably saved her scrawny bum.

And if you want to make your own Ria: 5th face on the right, 1st skin colour, dark blue lipstick, second hairstyle on the right, dark blue hair, inner eyecolour white, outer colour green, white glow.

* * *

"I can tell you one thing, Operator: It's incredible what kind of vocabulary these Grineer use in their scientific papers. I am very glad that I don't feel outrage." Sicarius said casually as decoded and translated data flickered over Ria's screen. The young Tenno was slumped into her transference chair, clad in the tight black and dark blue of her Zariman suit. She had opened the main zipper which revealed a long street of dark brown skin that ended just below her navel. Just to feel the air. Sicarius wouldn't complain. Sure, if Lotus could see her right now, she would give Ria one of the patented "modesty and dignity"-spiels about how Tenno were not supposed to look as if someone had let out the air and thrown them into the general direction of their priceless Orokin transference devices, but you're not the boss of me, mom! Her unkempt, blue hair and matching lipstick were proof of that attitude.

"Did they make any progress?" She asked absentmindedly. Her earlier meeting with the prisoner had been more draining than expected. Even after several hours of working on notes and decoding, she was still mulling it over in her head. _'Killed a Tenno… as if. She ruined one Warframe, gave the operator the headache of a lifetime and caused a long speech from Lotus about carelessness and responsibility. Admirable for a Grineer but how little do they know...'_

"Operator?" Sicarius asked suddenly.

"Yes, Sicarius, I was in thought!" Ria said with a sigh "But let me guess: No real progress."

"Indeed, Operator. Quite prophetic, but may I suggest listening to me before-"

"No, you may not." The Tenno sighed. "Of course they didn't make any progress! They'd never send a valuable scientist out there. And these better medics wouldn't do much in any case." she let out a groan "This mission makes no sense!"

"May I ask for your input, Operator?" Sicarius asked jovially "What about this mission makes no sense?"

"Look at that crew manifest. The roster is completely random! I was already wondering why a whole sniper unit was crammed into a tiny science vessel! It wasn't one of their Galleons or bases, this ship was tight. One idiot with a Blunt and a Sobrek could hold a corridor against a horde. But this ship had a Hellion squad! Atmosphere type jetpacks!" She threw her head back and groaned "They are not that stupid, Sicarius. We sometimes think so because our Warframes make us complacent, but there is a reason why the Grineer control old earth."

"Indeed, Operator. Very well observed." The cephalon said happily "While you were talking, I took the liberty of running an extensive analysis of the crew's personal background, filtering many factors such as commendations, time of service and more. I found commonalities. "

"What did I miss?" Ria sighed.

"All Grineer marines and guards aboard had a time of service greater than 15 years. And most of them come from similar gene molds."

For a moment, only the sound of the foundry could be heard in the ship.

"So?" the Tenno asked in confusion. "Elite crew. We already knew that."

"No, Operator, geriatric crew." Sicarius said quickly "With the average time a Grineer takes to mature, all of them were at least 20 years old. Taking their batches and the telomere degradation into account, those Grineer were doters."

"20?" Ria almost gasped. "That's slightly older than me…"

"Now you are flattering yourself, Operator. You are at least-"

"Cryo-sleep doesn't count, Sicarius."

"Well, then you are much younger, Operator."

"Whatever! I'm not even fully grown and these people are already on the way out?"

"Yes, Operator. This particular generation of Grineer must have suffered a significant loss of protective DNA. They were, most likely, *born* with middle-aged cells. Normally even low rank Grineer reach 30 years on average and their leaders get special treatment to live even longer. But that requires excessive medical effort. Our batch here was about to suffer from dementia, organ failure, osteoporosis-"

"But they think they are perfect…" the Tenno muttered, interrupting the list as ideas began to form. "Sicarius, did our guest have a medal of honour, a badge, anything for her service?"

"Three in fact. There are no details, but her file notes a badge for a certain number of confirmed kills, one for being part of a campaign against Infested over Mars and finally one that I don't recognize. But it must have been high honour. She is one of two on board who earned it."

"The others have similar honours, I assume. Medals, commendations, prices."

"Indeed operator. At a rate highly above the average for a ship of any kind."

"She's a war hero…" Ria said quietly "A war hero who was about to die young and in her bed." She let out a snort. "You were right from the start! This was a retirement mission."

"Did I suggest that? Retirement? Are you certain? The Derelict seems like a strange place to sit back and relax." Sicarius offered confused.

"They didn't want to send them into retirement, they wanted to retire them. Those Marines were probably known and respected, Sicarius. War heroes, role-models, the whole affair." The Tenno said grimly "If a whole generation of them keels over at half the normal age, even the most brainwashed Lancer will ask a question or two. And that's bad for morale. Grineer can't reject orders, but they can be less efficient in combat. But if you stick those heroes on a science vessel and shove them into the unknown to further essential research or whatever and then they die gloriously… Bang, public parades, propaganda news… things that make the fresh ones eager." She let out a grunt "And make sure it's the Infected, because the Corpus might take prisoners." The Tenno sighed. She nestled into her chair and closed her eyes "Those Grineer leaders think long-term, Sicarius. I could respect that if they weren't complete monsters."

"But isn't that extremely wasteful, Operator?"

"Short term: Yes. Long term it raises morale. Legends form quickly when you only live 30 years. In a generation, they will talk about this glorious mission and how many great Grineer died for the sake of the whole. Pragmatic cynicism at its finest." Ria concluded. "Say, how is our guest?"

"Awake, Operator. I gave her full access to every piece of music and every bit of entertainment media in my databank, just like you ordered. I also offered several recreational options like painting, video games and so on." Sicarius said eagerly "But I have to say, I was surprised about her wishes."

"Why?"

"She asked for a dumbbell."

Ria let out a small laugh. "Right in the stereotype." She muttered "Did you provide?"

"Yes, we happen to have a small but decent selection of personal training equipment, just like the Lotus suggested." Sicarius said happily.

Ria twitched in her chair. Ever since she had been rescued from the second dream, Lotus had pestered her about getting into a better shape. Admittedly, it had been an eye-opener to leave your cryo-pod for the first time and instantly collapse because your legs hadn't carried you for years.

"The second request was even more confusing. She requested a file from her personal folder in the vessel's data vault." The cephalon mused "I checked the file several thousand times, decrypted, analysed, defragmented and checked it for every virus known to the system. Nothing. Just a video. It's not even a personal file. I found the same or a very similar file in the folders of several other personnel on the ship. Strangely enough, the files all have comparable and sometimes overlapping content, but it seems as if they have many sources who all-"

"Just put it on screen, Sicarius." Ria suggested.

The screen came to life. For a few seconds, it was static. Then there was a picture. It was what seemed to be surveillance footage of a capacitator. Ria had seen them before in Grineer installations. Sparks and arcs of lightning showed that the machine was working very well. A few cables seemed out of place. Suddenly a Grineer walked into the frame. A female, Scorpion class, obviously patrolling. She walked past the capacitor. Suddenly, she raised her machete and… no, her machete was pulled away! With curses and screams, the woman held onto her weapon, but a force beyond her pulled it upwards.

"It's magnetic… the condenser magnetized that ceiling tile." Ria muttered.

Finally, the Scorpion's grip gave in and her weapon flew upwards and landed flat against the ceiling. The woman let out a series or curses and looked around. Suddenly she stopped and pulled out her grappling hook. With a quick thrown, the hook was imbedded into a panel next to the magnetized one and the woman climbed up. She grabbed the machete and pulled with all her might. Slowly, the blade dislodged from the tile. The Scorpion had to brace one foot against the tile but finally, the weapon was in her hand and she held threw it down, away from the tile. She let out a sigh of relief and turned to climb down. But she didn't. Her mechanic leg was stuck to the tile. She let out a scream. The screen went dark.  
The next video started. It was a helmet camera. The wearer looked down onto a large storage hall where several soldiers were patrolling. One of them was a Hyekka Master with two of his charges. Suddenly, the barrel of a Vulkar came into frame. A male snickering could be heard. The sniper aimed and activated his laser-sight. One of the Hyekka noticed the dot and jumped it, earning several snickers and confusion from its master. They repeated again and again, the Hyekka jumping every time and ending up confused.

"Those are funnies!" Ria gasped.

"Funny, Operator?" Sicarius asked in confusion "I can't detect any humour in those videos. Humour is about subversion, puns are about clever use of vocabulary and a joke needs a beginning, middle and a point to-"

"Sicarius, I'm glad that you are well-versed in the theory of humour, but these are not about that." Ria sighed "Those are… well… that's what soldiers and workers like between shifts. They don't want sophisticated humour or long jokes. They want quick levity. A small chuckle. Those files are probably traded around on every ship and in every facility." The Tenno leaned her cheek on her knuckle. "I'm glad that she is trying to cope… distraction through nostalgia and exercise. But this is an interesting find: Even after a life of genetically enforced obedience, a glint of humanity remains. They still giggle at silly animals and harmless misfortune. Humans are weird... apparently, you can't engineer what makes them human out of them and expect them to function. The Orokin tried and you see where it led."

"Is that pity, Operator? Sympathy even?"

"No, Sicarius, understanding." Ria closed her eyes "Only true understanding of the enemy is an advantage worth having. So is the path of Naramon."

"Oh, Operator, the Lotus would be so proud!"

"I doubt it… sometimes I wonder if she wants me to learn beyond the Tenno way."

"While I want you to be happy, Operator, I have to admit that this is a bad century to become a scholar. At least for someone with your gifts." Sicarius said carefully.

Ria let out a sigh and zipped her suit shut. "How is the status on our guest's limbs?"

"I finished my analysis of the leg prosthesis. Their new interface is incredible, but in the end, only a few motivators were replaced or improved. Still, they are remarkable improvements! The balance sensors use microscopic gyro-"

"What about the hand?" Ria interrupted quickly. She preferred reading the report over hearing the cephalon gush right now.

"I'm still working on the. The motivators for each finger are so delicate and the sensors so precise! They are marvels, Operator, every single one of them! Even our Foundry couldn't hope to create such delicate masterpieces."

"Good, Ready Excalibur and announce me to our guest." The Tenno ordered. "I wish to talk to her. Oh and get me a pillow!"

"A pillow?"

"Presentation, Sicarius. It's all about presentation."

* * *

51, 52, 53… Sindr was so tied up in counting, she hardly looked at the video on screen. Her pace was brisk, her left arm already stinging every time the weight approached her face. 'Keep counting!' she told herself in between numbers 'Don't think!'  
67, 68, 69…  
 _'Don't think about how can breathe so easily!_ ' 71! _'Don't think about how you're not plugged into anything!'_ 75 _'Or how you're alive without the systems. How you can do 80 repetitions on every group without tearing a-'_ The woman let out a snarl and threw the dumbbell onto the floor. "I lost count…" she muttered an explanation to nobody. Her eyes turned to the screen.

A Drahk was eagerly *playing* with a feral Kubrow while her master was shouting angrily.

Sindr let out a chuckle. Then a sigh. She couldn't do sit-ups without her legs, if she rolled onto her belly she could-

"Excuse me, ma'am." A much too familiar voice said.

The Grineer let out a snarl. "What?"

"Your host politely asks if you would have a word with them."

Sindr took a breath. She had humiliated herself once. But that was one mess up! She would not hide, she would not cower. She was Gineer! Strength is Justification! That Tenno would see what that meant! "Whatever."+

The screen went dark. A few moments later, the door opened. It was the same Tenno from before. A masculine figure in white and grey with a featureless visage and a single horn. Or whatever it was. In his hands was a fluffy pillow that held her legs. Sindr couldn't shake her confusion. Prosthetics like hers were common among her people. They were produced by the millions, used and thrown away when no longer needed.

"I apologize for the inconvenience." Ria said calmly. "Your arm will follow soon." The warframe moved closer, offering the items.

Sindr looked at them for a moment, then her gaze drifted away. "I can't install them with one hand…" she said quickly.

The Excalibur nodded. "May I offer my services?"

The Gineer twitched visibly.

"Did I cross a cultural boundary?"

"Do you Tenno dress each other? Do let strangers change your underwear?" Sindr hissed. "But I want my legs back, so just get it over with!"

The Excalibur nodded. It went closer and knelt down, sitting on its feet. It placed the prosthetics next to it and looked up, waiting for the woman to make her move.

Sindr felt like she was lifting her skirt for a complete stranger. But she wouldn't let such a small humiliation get the better of her.

Ria bit her lip. She had not expected this to feel so… intimate. Slowly, she pushed the jumpsuit's leg up to reveal the coupling on the Gineer's knee.

"Rip it off! They are in the way anyways!" Sindr hissed.

Ria followed suit, folding the jumpsuit's legs after the Excalibur had made short work of it and placing it next to her. The wirings were simple, but you needed two hands for the clasps. "You are an impressive specimen." She said carefully as the Warframe reached for the leg.

"Wrong leg!" Sindr said coldly before its hand connected with the limb.

Ria suppressed a facepalm. Smooth going there! She corrected the mistake and continued casually. "How long have you been alone on the ship before I found you?"

"Not sure. Could have been two days or a whole week." The Grineer answered quickly.

"I see." The Tenno said calmly. "You were very thorough. Not a single drone escaped you."

"It was that or death."

"Do you remember the time before you regained your consciousness?"

"No." Sindr's eyes narrowed while the Warframe was still fiddling with her leg. "Is that all you want to know? How I huddled down in a dead ship? How I was so full of stimulants, I shot every bullet into the drones and forgot to find more when your friend showed up?"

"Those are the kind of questions, you might actually be inclined to answer." Ria answered and finished the first leg. She went for the other.

The Grineer let out a huff. "Smartass."

' _I get that a lot…'_ Ria thought. "You persevere in the face of adversity without regard for your own trauma. You should not be surprised that I respect that."

"And yet you resist the Grineer!" Sindr said sharply.

"Tenno respect the power of the individual. I care not for the millions of Grineer that would have perished, had they been in your place." Ria said coldly. "And consider my admiration doubled for your continued loyalty. You certainly realize your situation."

"So this is where this is going?" Sindr let out a humourless laugh. "Yeah, we both know I'm fucked. It's one of the two reasons why I'm not going to kick you in the face once you are done. Those drones changed me so much, if I make it back to Grineer space, I'll be executed, dissected and turned into paste to be eaten by the queens. And I have come so far, I might as well see where it goes..."

The Tenno had to hide her bemusement. "And what would the other reason be?"

"I'm on a talking space ship. I doubt that it will listen to me." The woman answered. "It doesn't even shut up when I ask it to."

' _You and me both, lady…_ ' Ria mused quietly. She finished the second leg and stood to give Sindr some space.

The woman got up and flexed her knees. Ria had been wrong. She was easily 2, 2 meters tall, towering even over Excalibur. Suddenly, she kicked the Warframe in the shin. Ria hardly felt the damage through the transference chair. Luckily, Excalibur couldn't convey her look of complete confusion.

"I always wanted to kick a Tenno!" Sindr with a bit of cold humour. "Last time, I fainted from blood loss before I had a chance."

' _The bravado of the damned… She knows that she has nothing to lose.'_ Ria noted grimly. She had her Warframe bow deeply and said. "Feel free to ask for anything and my ship will try to provide. My accommodations are humble, but they are also yours."

Sindr slumped down on the cot, putting one foot on the edge while eyeing her captor. "Are all Tenno named like little girls?" she asked suddenly. "Is that why you're not equipped?"

Ria had to turn her thoughts around completely. That went beyond bravado of the damned.

"I mean, the one I shot had a rack. Did that one get a guy's name?"

The Excalibur bowed deeply, grabbed the torn legs and the pillow and left without another word.

Sindr smirked to herself. "That's what you get, you prude…"

* * *

Tenno are fun to write. Going fluently between scrappy teenager and calm, mighty warrior is a blast.


	4. Chapter 4

Warfame is owned by people I don't know.

* * *

"What you do you mean with: I like her? I cannot believe this, Operator! You must be joking! Is this a proof that my grasp on humour is lacking? " A certain Cephalon yelled through the darkness.

"Sicarius, I swear to the void, if you wake me up one more time, I will find your data core and shove it into the next Grineer toilet, I find!" Ria shouted. This was the third time, the cephalon had awoken her because of one throw-away line. The Tenno turned over in her bed. Yes, she liked Sindr. Who wouldn't like a woman with this much guts? She groaned and scratched herself in the dignified way that only Tenno could. Her sleep cycle was ruined anyways. She might as well get up and be productive. Or she could stay in undies and sports-bra, lounge around in bed, eat way too much sugar and read that hilarious story some colonist had written about copulating Warframes.  
Sure, technically the equipment was there, if hidden, but she had yet to meet a Tenno who had actually tried it. (That fact was more an indicator that Ria didn't interact much with her kind than anything else).  
Decisions, decisions…

"Tenno, are you awake? I would like to have a word with you." A familiar voice demanded.

"Yes, Lotus, I'm awake." Said Tenno sighed "What can I do for you?"

"I am worried, Tenno. I was aware that you have spent less time with your siblings than others, but I could not imagine that you were this starved for closeness." Lotus said calmly.

"What?"

"Sicarius informed me of our predicament. It worries and disturbs me deeply."

"Ok! Stop!" Ria groaned "What did Sicarius tell you?"

"He alerted me of your infatuation with your prisoner. It worries me, Tenno. You spent less than 25 hours on a ship with this woman an-"

"INFATUATION?" Ria screamed "I said that I like her! Because she has spunk! I respect that! Void help me, I'll put that cephalon into a vacuum cleaner!"

A pause followed. "Maybe I was on edge." Lotus said as sheepishly as her monotone voice could manage "Sicarius was rather hyperbolic. And the words *ravenous lust* should have been a clear indicator."

"You think?"

"Tenno, you have to excuse a mother's fear. You are strong, but there are things that neither your Warframe nor the touch of the Void can protect you from."

"If anything, Sicarius was infatuated with her implants!" Ria groaned and flopped back onto the bed. "What is wrong with that cephalon?"

"There few old Cephalon that survived without damage. Forgive Sicarius for he meant well." Lotus said gently.

"I know, Lotus, but I am sick of this hypocrisy. He was drooling from the speakers when he had the chance to analyse Orokin tech. I try to find out more about the Grineer they are attached to and-"

"And once Sicarius has his data, he could throw those limbs away without a second thought. Could you do the same to the Grineer?"

Ria drew in a sharp breath.

"You are not heartless enough for that. Not to a prisoner, not to someone helpless."

"She can join Steel Meridian if she wants to fight or the Kavor Defectors if she wants peace, Lotus!" The Tenno said quickly. "She is not going back to the Grineer." She let out a sigh. "Getting killed and dissected for deviation… no, I can't see her doing that. If anything, she probably wants to die to my hands. They respect only strength."

"And if she asked you for this honour?" Lotus pushed.

"Then she gets an empty room, a Grataka and one bullet!" Ria yelled. "You are right, ok? I can't execute prisoners! It's dishonourable to kill someone who can't fight back. That has nothing to do with her being her! I'm soft, is that what you want to hear? That I'm weak?"

Silence. Ria covered her face with both hands.

"Loving life is not weakness, Tenno." Lotus said suddenly. "I apologize. It wasn't my intent to cause you distress. But you will face difficult decisions in the future. Prepare yourself, Tenno."

Lotus went silent and left Ria to stew in annoyance and frustration. She understood, she really did. Lotus had to care for many Tennos all over the system. And she had the soul of a fussy mom. As for Cephalon Sicarius, he had nobody to talk to and stewed in worries whenever the Tenno went to sleep.  
BUT WHY DID THEY HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT ON HER?

"Sicarius!"

"Yes, Operator?"

„You have 1 minute to explain yourself." Ria said darkly. She had the urge to aim the Orbiter directly at the sun and stay aboard just to make sure that the last thing Sicarius saw was his charge dying.

"I admit freely that I used slightly alarming language, Operator, but my point remains. I have read the historic Orokin records. I know of the strong, sexual magnetism of the Grineer! It is only a matter of time unti-"

"What? Strong sexual… Void's sphincter, what are you talking about? Show me that record."

The screen next to the bed flickered and the Tenno crawled over. She began reading:

 _The Duchess and her loyal Grineer  
_ by Oralkin696  
 _Lua shone in silvery gleam, like a thousand ivory roses upo- she skipped -The Grineer held her in his adonic arms, nestled in the steely safety- she skipped –"Oh, Grut! If only you were Orokin and not a lowly drone! We would be wed within the hour and"- skip –And behind the orange gleam of his eyes was more than the mindless automation of the lowly Grineer. It was a sliver of- SKIP –"Dutchess, I you like! In heart!"_

"Sicarius… what makes you think this is a historic document?" Ria asked in a deadpan voice.

"Simple, Operator! We uncovered it and many like it in an Orokin datavault that functioned as a public library. It was encrypted on the head-librarian's personal terminal. Why would she go through all that trouble of hiding it, if it wasn't censured material that contained information to be kept from public knowledge?"

"BECAUSE YOU FOUND SOME LONELY LIBRARIAN'S STASH OF PORN!" The Tenno screamed "For fucks sake, Sicarius, I don't mind explaining these things to you! Ask me stuff!"

"But Operator, pornography requires visual aid, right?"

"Not always… I'm not going into details right now, but this is neither historic nor a record… It's some lone nut's fantasy! seems like she got bored halfway through."

"I see, Operator, I shall erase them from-"

"Nah, keep them. They are probably the last copies of these texts." The Tenno said quickly. Destroying data of any kind seemed wrong to her on a fundamental level. And some of the other titles could contain insight into the values and mentality of lower-class Orokin society. And make one or two lonely nights less dull.  
"What is our guest up to?" Ria asked after finally deciding to get up.

"She recently woke up and is now eating." Sicarius answered "She seemed confused when I inquired what flavour she liked for her rations."

The Tenno grimaced slightly. She had been worried that the confinement would be agony to her captive. But compared to how Grineer grunts usually lived, Sindr was probably having the time of her life.

"She did ask for a chance to shower, though."

Ria slapped her face. Stupid! The cell was equipped with a faucet and a lavitron for necessities, but it wasn't meant to hold prisoners long enough for them to need a shower. That lady had spent days upon days surviving in armour and the Warframe had no scent-receptors. Ria hadn't noticed, but the Grineer must have been reeking. "I don't suppose we have anything mobile that we can put in the cell?" She asked without much hope.

"Sorry, Operator, but the only hygiene station of this degree is the Operator's personal bathroom." Sicarius answered.

Ria bit her lip. It was a risk but she couldn't leave her guest in such a state. "Sicarius, prep my Transference suit and Excalibur, then seal all doors between the cell and my shower. I'll have to escort her…"

"Operator, I have to warn you. This is too much like page-"

Ria ignored him. "What is the status on her arm?"

"Actually, Operator, I have found something quite amazing." Sicarius said eagerly, his worries apparently forgotten. "There was a sequence micro carved into the length of the ulna. I was rather confused, since it was so small, only an in-depht scan could have hoped to find it. But I ran it through a few Orokin programs and it turned out to be a blueprint!"

"That drone carved a blueprint into the side of an arm?" The Tenno asked in confusion. "Why would they do that? What kind of blueprint is it?"

"It seems to be a communicator of sorts. If you wish, Operator, I could easily build one within the hour. We possess all the components required." The Cephalon said quickly. Ria could feel the excitement.

"Yes, fine, but don't activate it yet." She said and let out a sigh.

"As you wish, Operator!"

As Sicarius began to heat up the foundry, Ria dressed. Though it looked like a simple piece of black leather, the Transference suit was a marvel of Orokin technology. It was tight but flexible, it was smell-repelling, never stained and had functions that slowed down involuntary bodily functions to an amazing extend. And when plugged into the Transference chair, Tenno never needed to use the bathroom, worry about getting sweaty or starving. And to Ria, it felt like home.

Moments later, she was in Excalibur and walking through the ship. After checking every single door and getting a Lex, she went to the cell. This was going to be so weird.  
The Tenno waited until Sicarius had announced her and entered the cell. Sindr was looking at a photograph of Saturn's rings on the screen, hardly aware that Ria had come in.  
The Tenno cleared her throat.

Sindr didn't look at her. "This is incredible." She muttered, lost in the view.

"It was taken on the Kronia Relay." Ria explained. "You enjoy photography?"

"Seems that way…" Sindr mused. She blinked a few times. "I have seen plenty of planets from orbit… but I've never been. I don't know. I never felt much."

"Even during the Orokin era, many Grineer had their sense of aesthetics dulled." Sicarius said to Ria. "The builders were not supposed to enjoy the marvels they created. It's the reason why the Grineer never feel remorse when they turn planets in ugly factories."

"I am here to fulfil your request." Ria stated calmly.

Sindr managed to peel her eyes off the screen. They went to the Lex on Excalibur's hip. "Now? Just when we were getting along so well?" she asked with a smirk.

"That is not-" "Relax!" The Tenno began but was quickly interrupted. "I was joking! Do all Tenno get their humour removed?"

'Only in Excalibur…' Ria sighed inwardly. "I am here to escort you to a shower." She said calmly and bowed. "I apologize for putting you through such a-"

"And what is it with that constant apologizing? If this was a Grineer prison, you'd get a pitcher of protein-glucose mush and a beating a day, not flavoured food, a video screen and void-damned showers!" Sindr gasped in frustration.

"This is not a prison and you are not a prisoner." The Tenno stated calmly. "You are my guest and as such, it is my duty to take good care of you."

The Ginreer laughed. "This is getting ridiculous." She got up. "Let's just get this shower over with.

"I agree." Ria deadpanned. "Please go ahead. It's the last door on the left."

Sindr shot the Warframe a smile. "At least you don't go around turning your back on me…"

The Excalibur made place and Ria did her best not to stare too much as her guest passed her. She had been right: Sindr had a really nice ass. Too bad that she moved like a soldier. A bit of swing in that hip and… The Tenno drew sharp breath. Was this still jealousy? She surely hoped so.

The woman and the Warframe made their way to the bathroom. The door opened and Sindr raised her eyebrows. "There's no shower in there!"

"It is the cabin on the left."

"That? There is no showerhead or drain!"

"It is a sonic shower." Ria explained. "It uses short bursts of oscillating air to separate dirt from skin."

"Too fancy for water… seriously?"

"It is more refreshing than one would expect from a mere description. You will also find fresh clothes in there. Without long legs."

The Grineer shrugged and entered the bathroom. Suddenly she turned. "So, you coming or what?"

For a moment, Ria's mask broke. The Excalibur took a step back.

"Ha! Gotcha!" Sindr laughed and shut the door.

"Operator, this woman is obviously suffering from severe mental issues due to genetic decay, trauma, Orokin meddling and unknown factors." Sicarius said coldly "Her behaviour is erratic and unpredictable, she-"

"No, Sicarius, she is doing what every good sniper is supposed to do." Ria mused and stood the Excalibur next to the door. "Ever since she decided to keep on living, she has been testing the waters and put up hooks and traps. And now she has realized that sexual aggression might be a weak point." A minute passed. Ria closed her eyes. "Say… I never thought about it, but why are Grineer sexually active?"

"A good question, Operator. According to the old records-"

"Real records or the smut?"

"Real ones, Operator. According to them, it was attempted several times to remove the drive from Grineer stock. But it led to extremely inefficient workers. Ultimately, it was more efficient to give them one hour a day for recreation and work them harder the rest of the time. It is safe to assume that it's the same with modern Grineer. An active sex-drive increases aggression and competitiveness. Certain reports from Steel Meridian suggest that after successful missions -"

"I get the picture! Stop before I throw up in my hood!" The Tenno shuddered. The thought of a whole barrack of Grineer marines rutting… eww! "How is the foundry doing?"

"The item is close to completion, Operator.

"Hey!" Sindr's voice echoed from the bathroom. "Mind a question?"

Ria braced herself. "Of course not."

"What does one of your kind do with blue lipstick?"

The Tenno groaned. She hadn't cleared out her stuff.

"Do you paint a smile onto your head when you're happy?" Came the next question.

"Yes." Ria answered firmly.

Silence for a bit. "What?"

"Tenno always have a lipstick with us for that reason." The Tenno continued and she felt Excalibur buckle against her grasp. "I would also carry a bit of mascara to paint on eyes, but I ran out because I've been rolling them ever since you started talking."

The door opened. Sindry stood there, shiny clean and clad in fresh clothing, her orange eyes wide. "Void help me, there is an actual person inside?" she asked with mock surprise.

"It was my intention to give you a safe and welcoming environment." Ria said calmly, Excalibur's resistance slowly fading. "But it has become clear that you also require challenge to be satisfied."

"So that knob on your forehead isn't just for show?" The Grineer laughed. "Keep that up and we might end up friends. Maybe you get to shower with me too…"

"RAVENOUS LUST! I knew it, Operator!"

"Would you like to return to your room now or shall I leave you some more time to rummage through my cupboards?" Ria said, ignoring Sicarius whining.

"Well, I was thinking about shoving your toothbrush up somewhere…" Sindr mused "But then it hit me that this actually is your private bathroom. And nobody lets regular prisoners in their private bathroom. So I actually am your guest." She sighed. "Look, we both know that my people don't send rescue ships when they can make more of us. I guess I was just trying to find out how long I could make it. But then your friend showed up and now I'm here and…" She averted her gaze and seemed to push as hard as possible. "I'm grateful, ok? It's nice to be not-dead. Even if those drones did a lot of messed up shit to me, I guess being alive is better. So… thank you."

Ria grinned in her chair. She wasn't sure what gave her more tingles: Her plan paying off or getting positive social feedback. Probably the latter, seeing how rare it was.

"Well, that felt like passing a kidney stone. I hope you enjoy my dignity." The Grineer added and shook her head. "And how can I see you smirk without a face?"

The Warframe didn't move.

"What?"

"No hug?" Ria asked innocently.

"Can you go back to being a bore? Keep that shit up and I'll end up liking you."

The Tenno let out a giggle. She was making a friend! And all she had to do was find and rescues a heavily traumatized woman! Classic manouver!

"Operator! We have a problem!"

"If you say *ravenous lust* one more time!"

"No, Operator! It's the foundry! It's finished with the device and it activated!"

A rumble went through the ship and Sindr had to hold onto the side of the door. „What was that?"

Ria didn't need Sicarius' report. She knew this feeling. The feeling one had when a ghastly familiar was breathing down your neck. "The Void!"

Another rumble went through the ship and metal screamed. "Operator! Void fissures are opening all over the ship!"

"There is no way we can assemble a void key out of spare parts!" Ria yelled, her thoughts racing.

"It's not the device, it's coming from outside, Operator! It's like they are homing in on-"

"It's a fucking nametag!" Ria screamed.

"Hey, Tenno, you alright? Don't go all silent when shit goes down!" Sindr demanded from Excalibur.

"We are in danger!" The Warframe said coldly. "Please return to your-"

The lights went out as another rumbling screamed through the ship. All doors except the transference room shot open and emergency lights came on. "That one hit the engines, Operator, I -chr- have to cut power to several systems or we risk overheating the core!" Sicarius muttered "Oh, and there is an active fissure on the main deck! Several Drones have appeared!"

The Warframe started to walk. Sindr followed right behind. "Return to your room!" Excalibur ordered.

"Of course I'm gonna twiddle my thumb while hoping you don't fuck up whatever is happening right now!" Sindr growled.

The two reached the main room. A tear in the fabric of reality itself loomed in the centre and several Orokin drones were flying in circles, seemingly searching.

Ria pulled out her Lex. Two shots and one drone less.

Another came through the tear.

"No use, I have to close this manually!" Ria muttered.

"Operator, your Warframe is no e-"

"No, my hands!" The Tenno interrupted. She took a deep breath. Excalibur turned to Sindr. "Can you shoot with your left arm?"

"It's not like I have a choice!" The Grineer answered.

"Take this!" The Warframe offered the Lex. "And no matter what happens, keep shooting the drones!"

"Operator, this plan is extremely risky! You cannot trust this woman!"

Ria cut transference and jumped out of her chair. "I know, Sicarius! But I can trust her will to survive" She snarled as she began to run.

Sindr tried her best to ignore the Warframe going limp and focused on shooting. The recoil was insane for a handgun and she hadn't used one in ages. She was hitting pretty often, all things considered. Not that it mattered much. She had shot down two drones and they had been replaced already. She had one gun worth of bullets and even if she had more, reloading would prove difficult with only one arm and a gun she had never used before.  
Something small ran past her. A child? Sindr remembered the Tenno's words. She shot another drone. She shot another drone when the child began shooting energy out of its hands, blasting some device on the table. She shot another drone when the child's fingers began to glow and she ignored the clicking of the empty Lex to shoot more drones when the rift closed under the child's will.

Moments later, Ria had blasted the last few drones. She turned to Sindr.

The Grineer stared at her. Then she looked at the Warframe and back again. "They are puppets…" she muttered. The Lex hit the ground. "They are puppets… and children hold the strings…"

Ria let out a sigh as Sindr's laughter echoed through the ship.

* * *

Yes, I can make fun of slashfics as much as I want, even IF I write one myself.


	5. Chapter 5

Warframe is not owned by me. You might notice because Warframe isn't about people talking.

For some reason I confused the Liset lander with the Lith relic's name. Correction is on the way.

* * *

"So, our engines are busted, the Liset is stuck, all Warframes besides Excalibur are in cryo, long distance com is fried and we need how long until the next… anything?" Ria asked as she stepped out of the shower. After the incident, she had accompanied a laughing Sindr back to her room, ordered Sicarius to do a full scan of all ship functions. Then she had taken a shower. It was important to keep relaxed and level-headed.

"230 years until we reach a relay and can be tugged in, Operator." Sicarius answered. "The engines are completely gone and we only move through inertia."

Ria looked into the mirror. She looked into her eyes: Green circles around white glow. Did it get stronger? Was the Void calling her? Pulling her? Feeling its touch so close to her body… like an icy hand caressing… no not a hand, something else! Bad memories. She reached for the comb. "How are repairs going?"

"Well, Operator. The damages are mostly from rifts opening in tight places. Cables were cut and pipes were broken. I can replicate everything with the foundry and use the sentinels to install them."

Her hair was the adorable blue mess that she wanted it to be. She put the comb back. "So, cryo sleep is an option?"

"Indeed, Operator. Your transference chair is fully equipped to keep you alive for centuries."

' _But we only have one of those and two people… a wonderful dilemma. I guess Lotus has become a prophet…'_ The Tenno mused and reached for her lipstick. _'Don't let this get to you… just do your routine, keep your calm and focus.'_ She sighed and asked. "How long will repairs take?"

"Let me see, Operator. Liset-bay: Impossible without heavy machinery. Warframe chamber: 2 weeks until parts are forged, 1 day installing. LD-COM: 1 month until parts are forged, 3 days installing. Engines: 1 week until parts are forged, 1 day installing-"

Ria's hand twitched and left a long, blue smear down her face. "Did you just say that you can get the engines back on in 1 week?" she asked with trembling hands.

"Yes, Operator. Most damages are clean cuts. I will simply create new pipes in the foundry and replace those that we can't braze with the sentries." Sicarius answered.

"Sicarius, in your calculations, have you considered that we might USE the engines once they are repaired?"

"Oh… OH! Operator, you are a genius!"

"No, Sicarius, I'm tired… so very tired…" The Tenno moaned. "Run self-diagnostic… trice. I'm seriously worried."

"Operator, I-"

"No, Sicarius, no Operator! I am tolerant." Ria said harshly "I don't mind your eagerness to learn Orokin stuff, your little eccentricities and your tendency to do things without asking, but this was an obvious mistake! We can't afford those! Not on the field and not while we're adrift. Diagnostics, now! If there is a glitch, repair it!"

"Yes, Operator. But I will not be available for the time being."

"That's ok…"

"Oh and before I go, your guest left you a message and her limb is fully analysed." The Cephalon added quickly. "I left it on a pillow next to the foundry."

"Thank you, Sicarius." Ria sighed. "Just… I'll be fine, I promise."

"Very well, Operator. Prepari-" Sicarius stopped. "Just one more thing, Operator. You called the device a name tag. Why?"

Ria finished her make-up and turned away from the mirror. "You know how you put name tags and an ID number on personal luggage when you're on a station or a ship? So that the staff can return it when they find it? Same thing. They put a blueprint on the arm, you build a communicator and bam… drones come and fetch the lost equipment. Or why do you think they didn't attack?"

"Insightful, Operator, I will start diagnosis now." Sicarius said and his emblem, two vertical rows of three circles with 8 beams extending from the middle turned into a loading screen.

The Tenno put on her transference suit and leaned against the faucet. Then she pushed a button. A hologram appeared from her hand.  
1 Message. Audio. She opened it.

"The fuck I want to leave a message! Tell that half-pint that if it wants to talk to me, it better not show up with one of those fucking blunts again!" A very familiar voice yelled.

Ria let out a snicker. She might as well. The way to the cell was much too short and the side-track to grab the arm didn't help much. She had no idea how to tell Sindr that the two would be spending the next week together. And she didn't have Excalibur's quiet confidence with her. "This will suck so hard…" the Tenno mumbled and pressed the speaker. "May I have a moment?"

"Whatever!"

Ria opened the door.

Sindr was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She took a deep breath and looked up. She had not dreamed. A little girl with dark skin, glowing eyes, blue hair and blue lips was holding her prosthetic arm on a pillow.

"Your arm." Ria said after a short bow.

"You're already short enough, no need to go deeper."

Ria's face hardened. "Let's take off that junk on your legs and let's see who is bigger then."

Sindr let out a snort. "First: Still me! Second: Sore spot?"

"A bit…" The Tenno admitted crestfallen. "Your arm."

"Yeah, I see…" The Grineer answered. Her gaze hardened. "Ok, enough foreplay, what the fuck is going on!?"

"Where should I start?"

"Well, how about here: Not too long ago, I was a proud and loyal Ballista with one Tenno kill on my belt and commendations up the wazoo. Now I'm some kind of freakish monstrosity with impeccable health and it turns out my mortal enemy is something that we'd shove back into the clone tube until it's done."

"Technically, I'm 29 years old." Ria said calmly.

"Hey, I know you people think we Grineer are all dumb because we wake up grow up, but you don't need to raid a colony to know that you're not an adult."

"When we Tenno operated our Warframes, our bodies were kept in Cryo-sleep. I've been alive for literally centuries." Ria answered coldly. She approached the other woman and offered the arm.

"Why unfinished ones? I mean… kids?" Sindr asked as she took the limb.

"Tenno were touched by the Void when we were small. It changed us. Twisted us. It gave us the power of transference and allows us to do amazing things. And the Orokin harnessed us as weapons." A hint of darkness went over her features. "They had a talent for messing with lives."

The Grineer sat up and put her arm in place. For a moment, Ria mused why the legs needed two hands while the arm needed just one. Sindr flexed her fingers. "So… what now, you're going to kill me so I can't tell anyone?"

The Tenno let out a laugh. "What is it with you and asking me to kill you? No, it's not that big of a secret anymore. The Red Veil has clues and Corpus higher ups as well as your Queens know." She tilted her head slightly. "And would you believe yourself?"

"Fuck, no!" Sindr laughed "Right now I think that I'm still on our old ship and tripping hard on bad stims. I mean… who has ever heard of this void-shit giving you an in-built Nukor, glowy eyes and dyeing your skin?"

"Wait! What? Where did it dye my skin?"

The Grineer pointed at Ria. "You're all brown."

The Tenno's jaw dropped. "You are messing with me!"

Sindr's confusion was obviously honest.

"You have never… you don't know that black people exist?"

"You're not black! You're really dark brownish."

"I'm black! That's what we are called!" Ria was close to screaming. "I can't believe it! You don't know that humans have different skin colours?"

"I'm a Grineer! Have you ever seen one Grineer? Cause if yes, then you've seen most of us!" Sindr growled back.

"Yes… but… Have you never seen people of colour on colonies or in videos or anywhere?"

"How should I know? Have you noticed that most berks run around in jumpsuits and face-masks? There isn't exactly much skin to see!" Sindr sighed. "So fine, you're black… whatever." She gave Ria a weird look. "What other colours are there?"

"Am I really having this conversation?" Ria asked the universe. "It goes from really pale white to slightly darker than me with beige-brown in the middle..." She paused "And I think Orokin were blueish, but my memories are fuzzy. And they used so much gene-tech, there was little natural about it."

"No reds or greens?"

"Not naturally! And can we change the subject?" The Tenno massaged the side of her head "I think my brain is trying to escape my head through my nose!"

"Fine… just curious." Sindr sighed. "So what was that back there?"

"My Cephalon assembled an Orokin beacon, void rifts opened, drones came in… you saw the rest." Ria answered. "Now the ship has taken more than a bit of damage. We'll be stuck in here for at least a week while it does repairs."

"I should probably mind this way more than I do…" Sindr mused and let out a snicker. "This is the nicest place I've ever been to. And you did save my ass twice."

"You laugh a lot when things look grim." The Tenno noted with a slight smile.

"My head has been getting fucked for I don't know how long, now it needs a cigarette and a cuddle." The woman answered with a sigh. "If I don't laugh, I might start screaming and never stop." For a moment, Sindr seemed to swallow something that didn't fit into her neck. "So, when are you gonna introduce me to the rest of the crew?"

"Rest of the crew?"

"You know… the big guy's driver."

"That was me too."

"Oh… so, the technicians?"

"Fully automated…"

"So it's just you, me and the idiot."

"Well, he'll be quiet for a while. He is self-diagnosing."

"You know, you are supposed to start with the good news." Sindr snickered. She relaxed a bit, pulling up one leg to her chest. "So, anything else?"

Ria felt herself tense up. Technically this was it. Technically, she could just leave, meditate, check on repairs, read, do whatever came to mind. No Sicarius, no Lotus. All alone. With the fresh memory of the Void tugging on her.  
"Until Sicarius is done, entertainment will be a chore. We could keep each other company…" she suggested as calmly as possible.

Sindr raised her eyebrows. "Touching screens is a chore to you?"

"Looking through a few thousand files is… so what do you say?"

The Grineer smirked. "Sure, whatever. I'd offer you a seat but there isn't exactly a lot of chairs."

Ria nodded. "It's fine…" She took a step back and sat down on the floor, back to the wall.

"Sure, the whole floor is a chair." Sindr laughed and stretched her metal legs "Is that even comfy?"

"It's relaxing." The Tenno answered with a wry smile.

"So… what do you want to talk about?" A twinkle shone in orange eyes. "What do Tenno do when they aren't killing us?"

"Killing Corpus or Infested…" Ria answered calmly. "And sometimes Corrupted. And also Sentients since recently. We do a lot of killing. What do Grineer do in their free time? You must have plenty of it when you're shipped between planets."

"Is that some attempt to gain critical information?" Sindr asked half serious.

"Yes, when I overload the next reactor, knowing what those marines were doing before I showed up will give me just the edge." The Tenno answered in a deadpan. "I'm just curious."

Sindr searched Ria's face for a moment. She wasn't sure what to expect when she had first seen the little figure, but it wasn't this. There was no regret anywhere. Grineer were engineered and indoctrinated and they embraced that. They were well aware that humans had qualms and inhibitions. That's what made them weak. But there was nothing of the kind in this girl's eyes.  
"The usual… you know." She answered. "Doing drills, patrolling, maybe repairs, fighting, fucking… that kind of thing."

"What? Fighting and… coitus?"

"Do you need a picture? It's boring as fuck. And every moment some Tenno scum might show up and kill everything. You're constantly on edge… You bet we make the best out of it." The Grineer snarled. Again, she found no remorse on the Tenno's face.

"Well, sorry, I just didn't expect Grineer to have such an active sex life." Ria answered coldly. The thought that those ugly abominations got it on more often than her was depressing.

"Tenno don't? I mean… it's fun." Sindr said with a smirk. "Want me to show you?"

Ria raised one eyebrow for exactly 1 cm.

"How come you're not as easy to mess with in person?"

"Because Excalibur is a prude!"

"What? Who's that?"

"The Warframe. They have… how to put it… they have personas. They are not simply empty husks. When I control them, their… I don't know… soul? Whatever it is, it resonates with me." Ria explained awkwardly. "Excalibur is a proud and noble soul. Kind and valiant. But he is also a complete prude and so entrenched in chivalry that I had to wrestle him down to give you some sass."

Incredulity filled Sindr's face. "You tell me that those things have... personalities or whatever?"

The Tenno took a breath. "Did you ever have a functional item that you held dear? Like… a gun, a prosthetic… anything?"

"What?"

"You know. Like a rifle that worked better than others or something like that?"

The Grineer thought hard. "My second Vulkar on Mars post 15." She said after a while. "I think something was wrong with the barrel but the bullet would go slightly slower. You had to lead the target by a lot and it was really annoying, but Void, it had oumpf!" Sindr punched in her artificial hand. "A challenge to hit but, man, was it a thrill when I did. I miss it a bit…"

"You can compare it to that. They all fill similar roles but they have this small details that make them different." The Tenno smiled to herself. "Rhino is a strong and devastating force, but he can be a real softie. Ash is a perfectionist, stealthy and cunning, and you feel his anger when you get spotted. Really a bit of a pedant."

"Well, at least the things killing us by the thousands are special."

"You have to try harder to make me feel guilty for opposing a war of genocide." Ria said coldly.

Sindr sighed. "I noticed. And to be frank… I'm kinda glad you don't bawl your eyes out. Couldn't stand the idea of some bleeding-heart, whiny… you know, what I mean… I couldn't stand it if one of those wimpy losers was slaughtering us." She let out a sardonic laugh. "At least you have some guts. Even if you don't actually fight yourself."

"To be fair, until recently, I thought I was my Warframe." The Tenno said with a wry smile.

"Even if you have more of them?"

"I just… I thought I was some kind of wandering consciousness, bound to the Warframes, existing to battle alone for eternity." Ria said with a bitter laugh. "I had no body, no real self… I did nothing but fight and slaughter."

Sindr laughed. "Ok, I admit, that is fucked up."

"Sometimes, I miss it."

"What?"

"When you go from a being of precise slaughter to… this." She dismissed herself with one hand. "A bit of a step down."

"And I thought the Gustrak defective were fucked in the head!" Sindr said coldly.

Ria shrugged. "I'm a bio weapon too. I'm just classier."

"Seriously? That was better than food, sleep and sex?"

"Technically, the Warframes are equipped." The Tenno shook her head. "I don't know why and I have no intention of testing, but I know they have them."

Suddenly Sindr pushed herself to the edge of the cot. "What is having a dick like?" She asked eagerly.

"Weird! Next question!"

"You can't fault a woman for being curious." The Grineer looked to the side. "Now I feel kinda stupid for putting a move on that thing." She returned with a grin. "I mean, what sentient being could ever resist a romp with me?"

"Are you always this sexually aggressive or do you want to get a rise out of me?" Ria asked as calmly as possible. "It's getting old."

"As a low level grunt, I had three joys in life. Killing, eating and fucking." Sindr said with a shrug "And since I'm not gonna mess with my kind host's health, I'm down to one out of three." She laughed "Unless you plan to provide…"

"I could find you a generator to sit on."

"You have to FIND one? I'd have given each one a name already!"

"Can we go back to talking about my skin colour?"

"Are you black everywhere?"

"I can shoot Void-beams, you know!"

Sindr let out a laugh and her features softened. "You know… I'm enjoying this way too much. You're a riot when you're not inside of that bore."

Ria tried to ignore the fact that her heart had just skipped a beat. Sincere compliments from other humans were rare and gaining Sindr's respect made it somehow even better. "Well, I can't say that I dislike our verbal sparring either. Even if it's almost sad how hard you try to push my buttons."

"Hey, all Ballistas are bitches! That's why they keep us far away from the troops as they can." The Grineer laughed for a moment and became serious. "And it's the only way to resist at this point. I have no clue why you keep me alive, but strength is justification enough. And you are plenty strong."

"I think this is the point where I prove my morality by offering to let you go… but we are stuck here…" Ria let out a sigh and shifted position.

Sindr looked her over. There was almost affection in her eyes. "So what's with the lipstick?"

"Isn't strength justification enough?"

"For cobalt blue hair and lips? There isn't enough strength in the Fomorian fleet to justify that!"

"You really are a bitch!" Ria laughed. "I like it, ok? When we interact, we Tenno have a strict code of conduct. Civility, etiquette, honour. You wouldn't recognize me… But we are always in our Warframes when we do. And I like the idea that nobody knows that I wear this."

"Seriously? That gets you off?" Sindr giggled.

"Haven't we already established that I'm messed in the head?" Ria asked. The two women looked at each other for a silent moment. Quiet acknowledgement that they had it pretty good.  
"I think I should see how the diagnostics and repairs are going…" the Tenno said after a while. She got up and stretched.

Sindr allowed herself to stare for a moment. It wasn't as if Ria was underdeveloped. She gotten rid of all her baby fat, but was just naturally short and would probably never exceed a b-cup. Though Sindr did enjoy the soft curve of waist that was enhanced by the suit's markings. She was nice and slender. Enjoyable to look at, even.  
"Wait." The woman said as Ria was about to walk through the door.

"Yes?"

Sindr got up and let out a small sigh. "Thank you."

"For what?" Ria asked, seriously confused.

"You didn't have to spend time with me." The Grineer said and her awkwardness was tangible. "Or tolerate me giving you shit. Heck, I would have thrown me out of the airlock an hour ago."

"How come this is more awkward for you than rather graphic sexual things?" The Tenno deadpanned.

"That embarrasses you more than me, this is the other way around." Sindr answered and took a step forward. "So thanks…" She offered her left hand.

Ria looked up at the tall woman and smirked. "What? No hug?"

"You asked for this!" Sindr laughed and moved forward. Before Ria could wiggle away, she had her arms under her armpits and lifted the Tenno into a tight embrace. Ria's legs dangled helplessly as the Grineers massive breasts squished against her face. For a heartbeat, she was ready to fight. To call the Void's power and blast her assailant. But the embrace was without malice, just tight enough to hold her firmly and gentle enough to let her breathe. Strong, warm arms that held her tightly. Something began to boil in her chest. Her breath sped up and her eyes closed. Ria swung her arms around Sindr and pressed her cheek against her chest. Warmth, another's heartbeat… closeness. Ria squeezed tighter. She gasped as shivers went down her spine.  
The Grineer looked down in quiet shock. This was supposed to be a joke. A goof between two warriors. It wasn't supposed to end with the Tenno holding onto her so tightly, she could let go and Ria wouldn't fall off. A tremble went through the small woman's body, followed by sniffling.  
"Hey? You ok?" Sindr asked as gently as possible.

Ria looked up. Glowing eyes were overflowing with tears.

Both women panicked. Ria shoved herself away and Sindr let her go. The Tenno stumbled a few steps back and almost fell over. Her breath rattled and hear heart beat up to her throat. Every ounce of her body seemed to burn. "I… I have to… repairs!" she stammered. Trembling hands reached for the door-controls.

Sindr opened her mouth and the door slammed shut.

* * *

Yes, the only reason why Ria is black is because I thought that Sindr not knowing what black people are was hilarious. I needed some levity for this!


	6. Chapter 6

Warframe doesn't belong to me. Please come up with your own witticism.

Contains Spoilers for the Quests, the Synthesis scans, descriptions and everything else you find on the wiki.

* * *

Left fist - Right fist – Back, high kick  
Excalibur had repeated the Narta fifteen times now, but Ria could still feel the tears on her face and her racing heart. More transference, better synchronization!  
Left fist – Right fist – Back, high kick  
The Warframe repeated the moves precisely. Why could she still feel the buringing? Why couldn't she dissolve into her Warframe? Be rid of flesh and feelings.  
Left fist – Right fist-

Something grabbed the Warframe's shoulder and turned it around. A Grineer's rage-filled face came into view, followed by her iron fist.

Ria almost felt the punch through the somatic link, though it was more confusion that made Excalibur stumble backwards.

"FUCK! This shit feels pain now!" Sindr howled, holding her prosthetic.

"How… How did you get out of the cell?" Excalibur asked as he got into a defensive position. They were standing right in front of the door to the transference room. Ria could feel the Warframe's protectiveness.

"You didn't seal the door, you dunce! Now get out of that thing!" Sindr yelled.

Sicarius! Ria was too used to the Cephalon doing the small things. "Return to your-"

"FUCK YOU!" The Grineer screamed. "I don't accept this! You hear me?" She tried to shake the pain out of the arm. "I don't accept this shit! You don't just get to… to… to break apart in my arms and then run off without giving me a chance to make things right! And don't you DARE hide in that shit!"

Guilt and a feeling of Excalibur's indignity filled Ria's chest. Sindr approach was counterproductive, but it was obviously honest. And the Tenno didn't want to drive an even deeper wedge in between them. "Through this door…" Excalibur said and the Transference room opened.

Sindr pushed past it without a second glance. For a just a moment, the quiet beauty of the transference chamber made her stop in her tracks. The gently twisting form of crystalized void energy and the grandeur of the glittering walls gave the chair a sense of royalty. Divinity even. Sindr could imagine that the queens might use such an imposing seat.  
The isolation-shield opened and a Sindr's "captor" revealed herself. A sad face, overrun with tears. "Were you trying to drown yourself in there?" The Grineer asked with a sigh as the rage faded.

The Tenno seemed to shrink a bit deeper into her chair.

Sindr took a sharp breath. "Look, I'm sorry, ok? I… I though… fuck, I didn't think!" she let out a groan. "You said "hug" and I wanted to be funny… I didn't mean to-"

"It was funny…" Ria interrupted and sniffed.

"Yeah, I can see that…"

"No… I…" The Tenno took a deep breath. "I would have fought back if I didn't like it. It was a nice hug."

"Then why the fuck are you crying as if I killed you favourite Hyekka and ate them in front of you?"

Ria drew a sharp breath. "I don't know."

"What?"

"I don't know! It was nice! But then… I… I don't know… it became too much…" Ria wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"A hug is too much for you?"

"I don't know!"

Sindr tilted her head to the side and walked closer. "Ria, you said that Tenno interact in their… frames." Her eyes hardened. "How often do you see people's faces?"

"I talk to Sicarius and Lotus… and when the council-"

"That's not what I asked!" Sindr interrupted "When do you sit down with others and do what we did back there?"

Ria looked away.

"When was the last time you actually touched anyone? With your own hands?"

"I don't remember… before the old war?" the Tenno whispered. She looked up and was shocked at the sheer level of bewilderment on Sindr's face.

"Is that normal for Tenno? Do you have, like, conditioning, implants… anything like that?"

"Not to my knowledge…"

"How the fuck can you even think straight?"

Ria felt anger flare. "What are you talking about?"

The Grineer took a deep breath. "When I was stationed on Mars, I did a long assignment around Ares. That area suffered from long dust storms. Some lasted a month or even two." Her eyes darkened. "We had forward listening posts in the desert… self-sufficient with water and enough rations for a year. At first, we staffed them with a single soldier each. You just had to keep tabs on the desert and call in. The brass didn't consider that the storms would cut them off from base. Even after the storm passed, most wouldn't call in. So we went to look." Sindr averted her gaze. "Those who hadn't shot their own brains out, attacked their relievers. The one, we managed to capture, screamed about seeing lights, hearing order that weren't real, the desert swallowing her and what not. We had to put her down. Tough woman, same batch as me…"

A part of Ria wanted to scream. Wanted to shout that Grineer were damaged by default, that she had people to talk to, and that this was an insane comparison. But she didn't feel like lying to Sindr or herself.

"Look, I'm not some honour-codex Tenno person or a very smart Grineer. But I've seen what solitude can do to your head." Sindr said with a grimace. "I mean, I thought that week on that ship was a nightmare but-"

"STOP!" Ria yelled, another flood of tears rolling down her cheeks. "I can take it…"

"Nobody can! Nobody is supposed to! Complete monsters like the Grustrag Three have each other! Even the tech-head get to talk and have their cheeks stroked when they do good!"

Ria let out a muffled giggle. "Those amputated heads that control heavy machinery? You have people who walk around and give them rewards."

"We needed one punishment more humiliating than death by Atterax, but don't change the subject. You made sure that I got visits and all that. Don't tell me that you don't see, how fucked up it is that you take better care of prisoners than yourself!" Sindr growled.

"I'm not weak!"

"You don't prove your eyesight by staring at the sun!"

"Now you sound like Lotus…" The Tenno mumbled.

"Well apparently that Lotus person has a pair of functioning eyes in their heads!"

"She doesn't have eyes…"

Sindr almost lunged forward. "If you try to change the topic one more time!" she growled. "Now get up and come with me!"

Ria took a shaky breath. "Where to?"

"You'll see…" The Grineer said with a sigh and turned to go.

The Tenno felt the knots in her stomach twist and turn. She wanted to close the shields, transfer back into Excalibur and forget. Forget the burning. Forget the confusion. Forget that there even was a Ria. But you couldn't always do what you want. So she got up and followed Sindr.  
The Grineer led her straight back to the cell, though the march felt much, much longer than the 40 steps it actually took. They entered and Sindr went straight to her cot and sat down. She looked at the Tenno and padded the space left of her with her good arm.

Ria froze.

"I'm not going to take advantage of you." Sindr stated coldly. "Look, if this was the field, I'd have no qualms with blowing your head off, but I don't like hurting people by accident. Now come here and sit down! Not gonna hurt you."

The five steps the Tenno made seemed to take days. Finally, she sat down next to the taller woman. Sindr looked her over. In her transference chair, Ria had looked like a divine being. Energy crystalizing around her, her eyes glowing with the Void's power, her body relaxed and almost weightless. It was an imposing view.  
But here and now, when she barely looked over Sindr's shoulder, her back was slouched and her whole body shook, she was just another person. A person in pain. Sindr took a deep breath. "Look, when it's too much again, tell me." The Grineer said as gently as possible and wrapped her arm around the Tenno's shoulder. She pulled her closer, but remained relaxed enough for the smaller woman to easily resist.

She didn't. Instead Ria nestled into the embrace, resting her temple on Sindr's shoulder. She let out a slight gasp as a wave of electricity went through her spine. The grey material of her jumpsuit didn't mask how warm Sindr's body was. How her heart beat.

"I guess every touch is bad touch for someone like you…" The Grineer muttered to herself. She sighed slightly, allowing herself a moment of relaxation. "You know, you can touch me all you want." She said after a few moments of quiet.

The Tenno didn't waste a second. She instantly wrapped her arms around Sindr's waist and squeezed her tightly. Ria felt as if her heart was filling out her whole chest with every beat and her breath was wheezing. This was wrong. It was all wrong! But she couldn't let go. Her body felt as if it was overheating, but the thought of letting go right now... letting go of all the warm, the life and strength.

"It's ok… I'm right here. Nobody's gonna hurt you…" Sindr muttered in an awkward tone.

"Why?" The Ria whispered after several minutes of clinging tightly and sobbing miserably.

"Yesterday, I was bawling and crawling around like a headless Kubrow…" She let out a sigh and rested her cheek on Ria's head. "Because I like you and because I'm lonely too…"

"I'm sorry…"

"For what? Being fucked up?" Sindr's eyes wandered to her free arm. Golden and silver, decorated with ornate detail and still slightly sore, even though it was just metal. "Who isn't these days?"

The Tenno let out a muffled giggle. "You're amazing." She felt the big woman's thorax vibrate as she laughed.

"Yeah, pretty much." Sindr said with a grin. "But you're no slouch yourself. Glad that we met like this… where we don't have to kill each other."

Ria sniffed. "You mean you'll stop asking?"

"At least the whole mental trauma didn't kill your sense of humor…" The Grineer sighed. "Feeling better?"

The Tenno nodded. Her breath had stabilized and the feeling of burning up had become bearable. "That's the issue… it never felt bad. Just… too much."

"Like drowning a thirsty man…"

"Yes." Ria sighed. "Lotus was right to worry…"

"That Lotus person sounds like a pretty smart girl." Sindr mused.

"She ordered me to kill you on sight."

"I repeat: That Lotus person sounds like a pretty smart girl."

Ria glared up. "Don't say that!"

The Grineer sighed. "I told you: I'm done with dying for now. But someone like you shouldn't take prisoners."

The Tenno shrunk a bit into the cot. "Because I'm weak."

"If you were weak, I wouldn't be cuddling you. I have standards." Sindr answered calmly "No, because you're curious about the wrong kind of shit." She snickered and rubbed Ria's shoulder a bit "If you had asked how I survived, I'd be dissected, cut up and floating in some analyser. You care about why I did it. That's a gamble… like a forward position. You leave yourself open to caring, but it can pay off way more."

"When did you get all introspective?" Ria giggled. A wave of relaxation came over her and a gentle smile formed on her blue lips. In the calm, she noticed how she could feel the Gineer's breasts rise with every breath. They were so nice and big.

"I spent weeks, looking through viewfinders at things. At comrades, enemies, wildlife… buildings. I couldn't questions my orders… but I could wonder."

"A waste that you hide it behind sex-jokes."

"Hey, I like sex-jokes! And getting on your nerves was a nice bonus."

Ria shifted a bit. She kept her right arm behind Sindr's back while retracting her other. Her heart was still beating fiercely but now that she had gotten used to it, it wasn't crushing, it felt almost invigorating. And the curve of her that waist and hip. She looked up. For the first time, she could study the Grineer's face from close up. Sindr's scars were mostly implant marks and undernourished crevices left by the inefficient cloning process, but her rosy tan made them easier to overlook. Old surgery scars were hidden beneath the fresh hair on her head and a criss-cross of ancient stitches went down her neck. But there was a pretty face beneath all that damage. Especially the eyes. Two coronas of burning orange in total blackness. Grineer had really pretty eyes when they weren't twisted in hatred.

Sindr looked into Ria's eyes and a wave of awkwardness overcame her. Half-lid eyes, relaxed features, a soft smile. She felt a tingle in her spine. The exotic skin tone, the glowing eyes, the cobalt lips… how could something of such otherworldly beauty feel so weightless and fragile?  
And it was beauty. Sindr felt privileged to recognize it as such.

Ria batted her eyelashes. "This is a bit awkward…" she whispered smiling and pulled back a bit.

"You tell me…" The Grineer muttered. She was enjoying this way too much. A bit of distance would allow her to think straight.

That never happened. As soon as she had scooped a bit away, Ria turned and swung her leg over Sindr's. Before the Grineer could object, the Tenno was kneeling on her, butt firmly on Sindr's knees and her arms loosely around her neck.

Sindr felt herself retreating a bit. "I mean it when I said that I wouldn't take advantage of you. But this isn't helping!"

Ria batted her eyelashes. There was barely space between her and Sindr's chest. If she took a slightly deeper breath, she could feel those wonderful mounds of flesh with her whole body. "You're not taking advantage when I ask you…"

"Ok! Stop!" Sindr said firmly, raising her arms. "An hour ago, you couldn't bear a simple hug and now you want me to fuck you? Really?"

"Don't you like girls?"

"Oh, I play every team all the time, trust me, but not you and not now!"

"But-"

"No but! I told you: I don't hurt people on accident. Especially not those, I like! You're jacked up on your own happy-juice and now you think you can go all the way! Well, no, you can't, not with me! I'm not help you fuck yourself up beyond repair! Got it!" The Grineer said harshly "If we do that now, you'll hate yourself in a hour and me in a day! Then you'll crawl back into your puppet and we'll spend the next week looking at the airlock with yearning!" She let out a deep breath "Look: I like you. I really do. If I didn't, I'd be elbow deep in that cute ass of yours, no regard for your sanity. But I haven't spent the last hour consoling you, just to screw it all up now."

Ria's gaze dropped and she let out a bitter laugh. "You really do care…" she muttered.

Sindr ran her hand through the Tenno's hair and rolled her eyes. "If anyone asks, I'm playing the long game to get my own Tenno fuck toy in the future…" she said with a hint of annoyance. Suddenly she gave Ria's hair a tug and forced her to lock eyes. "Because I'm a big, nasty Grineer and you are Tenno scum, no matter how cute you are!"

"Strength is justification?" Ria asked with a grin.

"You're learning…" Sindr smirked.

"Sindr?" The Tenno asked innocently.

"What?"

For a moment, Ria's features became sincere. "Thank you!"

"Stop being so cute!" The Grineer roared and let go of Ria's hair.

The Tenno giggled. She leaned forward and quickly placed a chaste kiss on Sindr's cheek.

"Ok, that's as far as we go…" The Grineer said and let out a sigh. She grabbed Ria's hips with both hands and lifted while standing up. The Tenno let out a gasp as she was unceremoniously picked up and held at arm's length. "Void, I think I've worn armour that was heavier than you…"

The little Tenno gave Sindr a wry smile. There was something surprisingly relaxing in being carried by the big lady. A wistful certainty that those strong arms would never drop her. "What now?" She asked carefully.

"Now, I'm going to let you down and you can do whatever you want." Sindr answered "Do your repairs, eat, sleep, play with you doll, stay here, I don't care. But no more flirty-flirt or pelvis grinding, got it?"

"I'm not a child…"

"No, you're hurt. And now you're gonna put a band-aid on instead of pulling on the scabs, got it?" The Grineer answered and put the Tenno down.

Ria crossed her arms as Sindr sat down again. The room felt much colder without the woman's warmth. "Do all Grineer know so much about psycho-hygiene?"

"What is that? It sounds like someone taking a dump in your head!"

"No it… it's exactly what you've been doing: Trying to clean up all that emotional mess." Ria explained.

Sindr leaned back and rolled her eyes. "Then just say that… anyways, why wouldn't I know how to deal with that? I'm a sniper. We're all about being alone."

"It just seems weird that Grineer spend time teaching their soldiers to-"

"They don!" The Grineer interrupted harshly "You're right, the brass doesn't care about us grunts as long as they can make more. And we grunts probably wouldn't mind if there wasn't this little tid-bit: Right now if one of us snaps and kills someone, they might as well kill their whole platoon and get themselves a Grustrak bolt and a shiny new armour. Allowing one of us to fuck their own heads up is as much a death-sentence as a Tenno attack is." She sighed heavily. "In the end, we have to watch each other's backs and heads. I believe in the empire and I couldn't disobey orders, but that doesn't mean that I recognize dumb shit when I saw it. If we all watched each other's backs, even the defective would stay loyal."

The Tenno's eyes wandered to the spot next to Sindr. "May I?"

"I told you: As long as you play nice, you can do whatever you want."

Ria nodded quickly and sat down, hands of her thighs and staring at her knees. She wasn't sure what was worse, than Lotus and Sicarius had been right or that a Grineer had a better understanding of the human mind than her.

„Ok, my turn to ask questions…" Sindr decided after Ria kept quiet.

"Sure… but-"

"Yes, yes, no secret, important stuff…" The woman rolled her eyes "As if I had any use for that… no, I want you to tell me about the Grineer."

"I should tell YOU-"

"Void, I don't mean Grineer now… but you said that you were alive before the big war… I guess that was before the Empire, so… what were we like back then?" Sindr sighed. "We don't get history lessons or anything. It's just Empire this, Empire that… how was it back then?"

Ria nodded "I was really young back then… and I do have memory loss due to Transference… and most of what I know is from reconstructions… but I'll try." She leaned back, her gaze dancing across the ceiling as she tried to remember "Grineer were builders. Or rather: Slaves." She sighed. "But compared to the Orokin, everyone was. Back then there were many stocks of Grineer-"

"There are different batches today."

"No, I mean completely different. They had broad-faced strongmen, who worked tirelessly in mines. They had nimble artisans, who shaped detailed figures. If there was a task, there was a special stock of Grineer for it. The Orokin didn't like artificial intelligences or machines that could potentially be used against them, so they cloned Grineer instead. They were everywhere." Ria grimaced "And they were happy. They had no choice but be happy. They kept them infantile… desperate to please…"

Sindr let out a bitter laugh "Orokin… Leave it up to those guy to make misery sound desirable."

Ria pulled back and put a foot onto the cot. "I protected them… they turned us into Tenno to protect them. No matter how much I hated them, I fought for them."

"Sounds like the system is better off without them…"

"There was one that was different." The Tenno said quickly "She… she saved us. She helped us after we were touched by the Void. She taught us and sang for us in the dream…"

Sindr groaned loudly. "Can't you give me at least one moment to hate them all before telling me that I owe your life to that bitch…"

"Don't talk like that about Margulis! She died for our sake!" Ria hissed sharply.

The Grineer nodded. "Your height and this Margulis… ok, not gonna push those buttons. You get one more."

The Tenno's features softened. "Three?" She asked with a giggle "You give me three places where I'm safe?"

"We all have buttons that nobody should push." Sindr said neutrally "And three is nice and easy to remember."

Ria looked up to her. "What are yours?"

"Hurting people by accident."

"I noticed…"

Sindr closed her eyes for a moment. "And mentioning how many other Grineer I killed."

The air seemed to lose all warmth. Ria swallowed. "You mean the ones who went mad?"

"Let's just say that when you fight the infestation, you sometimes have to shoot before it gets the chance to turn them completely…" Sindr said coldly. An old feeling of anger flared up for a moment. Then she felt two small arms wrap around her torso.

"I'm sorry." Ria muttered while she hugged the Grineer tightly "I know you said-" A gentle hand interrupted her by tussling her hair.

"I said: If you didn't play nice." Sindr said with a smile "This is nice…"

The Tenno allowed herself a happy sigh. Then she let go. She had to, no matter how nice it was.  
Then she looked up into two orange eyes that seemed very proud.

"Don't you have a ship to repair?" Sindr finally asked.

Ria nodded. "You're probably right…"

"Not kicking you out or anything. But I think we had our fill for now. Keep yourself busy for a while." The Grineer added "I'm not going anywhere."

"I'll leave the door unsealed." Ria said briefly "I would give you a tour, but you've already seen the whole ship." The Tenno didn't like to lie, but it was better if Sindr didn't get a tour and she wouldn't have to explain the entity that controlled the organic parts of the ship.

"Then it's a paint-can and not a ship! Nice gesture, but I like it in here. If we let the walls rust a bit, it's basically like home." Sindr said with a smirk and watched the Tenno get up.

Ria bowed deeply, much to Sindr's annoyance and turned to go. Halfway at the door, she stopped and turned around. "Sindr… just one question."

"Yes?"

"Elbow deep in my ass? Seriously, who says that?"

The Ginreer shrugged. "Fine, confession time" She raised her metal arm and grinned "This wasn't a Tenno. But it was fun…"

"You're horrible."

* * *

To answer to questions preemptively: No, I don't say that Lotus is a bad mother. Ria messed herself up. And yes, she basically wishes, she was the Stalker. What? Did you think Sindr was gonna be the messed up in this fic (don't worry, she is too)


	7. Chapter 7

Warframe belongs to people who are not me.

For people who wonder: Sindr is taller than regular Ballistas because she is an Eximus. But since the word is used for all special enemies, I assume that it's a Tenno designation that she wouldn't use for herself.

* * *

" _Train them as if they were flesh!"_

That's what they told you from the start. As soon as a Grineer without legs or arms received their prosthetics, the first thing they tell you is to train with them. You can't train the metal, but you have to train the stump. The prosthetics put pressure on bone and muscle, even more so than the real arm, so train the stump.  
Sindr followed this suggestion to a tee. Squats, jumps, lifting weights. She did it all with both legs and her right arm. But right now, she had a dilemma. Push ups had become much more difficult since her ordeal. Or rather, the pushing distance had become dramatically small.  
"Dumb tits! Optimize their victims, my ASS!" she groaned, laying prone on the floor.

Music was playing in the background. Sindr hadn't known how much until now, but apparently she liked music. She had no idea how the music was made, who had recorded it or what it was called, but she liked it. She would recommend "Track 42" in Ria's music folder to anyone without hesitation. She also like pictures of planets now and Ria.

" _Grineer were builders. Or rather: Slaves"_

" _They had no choice but be happy."_

" _These drones optimize their victims to serve…"_

She looked over her right arm. Golden and beautiful. Ornate and much better than before. "Is that why I like the little bitch so much?" She asked with a sigh "Cause she is the next best thing in line?"  
She got up and stretched. It felt good. The sweat, the endorphins, the fact that she didn't have to screw open that vent that used to be on her side and drain the lactic acid her body couldn't handle, it felt good.

" _They had no choice but be happy."_

Sindr sat down on her cot.  
Grineer obedience was a simple process: They gave you an order and you did it because you couldn't refuse. And if the order was to report for execution by Atterax, you had bad luck but you followed.  
But the thought that this happiness might not be her own. Just another thing those Orokin had put into her. At least Grineer are honest… Grineer don't trick you into doing shit with a dumb grin.

She sighed and felt a bit of hunger tug on her. "What's the time?"

She went over to the screen and pushed a few buttons. Her jaw dropped. "I've trained for four hours straight?" she gasped. Her hand went over her body. Nothing more than a decent feeling of strain and fresh adrenalin. A shudder went through her whole body. She was stronger than ever before. And yet, it felt wrong. This strength was not her own. "Don't let it get to you… you're safe, you're warm, you're-" _*growl*_ "Hungry!"

Some food would get her mind off this. Sindr looked for an option or button for something to eat.

There was none.

"Great…" Sindr groaned. She really didn't want to get into Ria's personal space right now. She needed some distance right now and, Sindr hated to admit it, the Tenno did have a certain effect on her. "Well, I'm not gonna starve myself."

The Grineer left her cell slowly. She had no idea where Ria was and for some reason, she had the feeling she would walk in on her showering or do something else that was completely embarrassing for both of them. This was how these things went, right?  
The Orbiter's hallway had 5 doors and one big portal that led to the main deck. Oposite that portal was the Transference room and on the other end of the corridor was the bathroom. Ria's room was probably somewhere on that side. Sindr began to walk.

The door opposite of her. Didn't open.

The door next to hers. Didn't open. Though it had a little piece of paper next to the button saying "Water twice a day!"

The next door didn't open either.

Sindr began to wonder if "paint can" had been too generous. "Wait! That frame is gone…" she noted. She walked up to the biggest door.

It opened and Sindr was greeted by the magnificence of the biggest chamber of the ship.  
Excalibur was kneeling in the middle of the room, his eyeless gaze straight on the door. To Sindr's surprise, Ria was kneeling behind him, eyes closed, both hands extended, barely touching the Warframe's back.

Sindr gave it the mental note of _"Weird Tenno Shit"_ and approached. "Hey… how are the repairs?"

"The foundry is doing what it can. Sicarius has completed his first diagnosis run. Right now, we can do little more than wait." Ria answered, eyes still closed "Is there anything you desire?"

"What are you doing?" Sindr asked and stepped closer "You talk funny."

The Tenno opened her eyes and relaxed, her hands dropping to her thighs. "Trying to improve my offline transference." She said with a sigh "Some Tenno can fully control their Warframes without the need for the chair. I still need full contact to make them move."

"It's scary enough that you can make them move, if you ask me…"

"It used to scare me too." Ria answered and got up. She placed a hand on Excalibur's shoulder. A breath of life went through the body and he rose slowly.

"You can move it without any wires? Void, this is amazing!" Sindr laughed "I thought it was like some Corpus machine, but this is something!" A grin invaded her features "So… since they are equipped, have you…?"

"No!"

"Can I?"

Excalibur twisted out of Ria's grasp and took a step back. "Sindr! It would still be me!"

Sindr ignored Ria and addressed Excalibur. "Don't worry, cutie, I'm not into you. The big guy is more my kind of-."

"Sindr! I'm not gonna pimp out my Warframes to you! This isn't a brothel!"

"You're right. It's a buffet, cause I have no intention to pay!" The Grineer laughed "Speaking of buffet, I can't figure out how to get something to bite. Can you show me how it works?"

"I'm sorry. I guess we badmouth Sicarius a lot, but he is very useful." Ria said as she led Excalibur into a corner and let him kneel down.

"Yeah, yeah, who cares if cogs squeak as long as they turn?" Sindr shrugged "By the way, do you have a table? It feels a bit awkward to eat and drink on my bed."

The Tenno let out a giggle. "Sorry, Sindr, this ship was created with Warframes in mind. It has no dining area, no tables, no chairs."

"So you eat in your bed?"

"Please! I have some standards! It's Tenno custom to take our meals in piety and humility, without the luxuries of tables and seats, kneeling and calm."

"You eat off the floor?"

"No, I eat off a platter… which sits on the floor."

Sindr's expression was indescribable. "You Tenno are weird."

"Our traditions and norms are about being inside our Warframes." Ria said with a shrug "They never expected us to walk around and have those pesky human needs."

"Speaking of human needs. No, don't give me that look, I'm talking about food. Can I have some?"

"Oh, of course! Sorry!" The Tenno answered quickly and rushed past the Grineer. "The dispenser is in the control room." She said over her shoulder.

Sindr followed quietly. The two stopped next to a pedestal on which a giant egg was slowly turning. "Is that a Drahk?" she asked.

"Oh, it's a Kubrow egg. Different breed. I used to have one in the past." Ria said as she reached for a panel next to the machine "But it turned out, I'm allergic to Kavats and Kubrows, so I had to give her to Lotus. It wasn't a problem before I was a separate person. Warframes don't get runny noses."

The Grineer nodded. "I'm kinda glad. Those monsters freak me out… They only give those to complete nutters. I swear, they do more than just *play* with them."

"Sindr, change the subject or you risk me throwing up onto your platter." Ria said with a groan and pushed a few buttons. A small tray extended from the wall, filled with several plates, spoons and a dispensing nozzle. "All we get on here is nutrient paste, but you can have whatever flavour you like and as much as you can stomach."

"I'll take something spicy… And trust me, getting food that doesn't taste as if it had just dripped out of someone's nose is luxury. The price for flavours was a joke. And booze was way cheaper."

Ria nodded, pressed a few buttons and filled a deep plate with a beige, steaming paste. It had the visual appeal of a bucked of limewash, but Sindr still felt her mouth watering as the accepted the plate. Suddenly a horrible thought crossed her mind. "WAIT! This is right next to… are we eating Kubrow food?"

"No!" Ria answered as she made herself a plate as well. Sweet curry flavour with a bit of nut aroma. "We are eating human food. It just comes out of the nozzle that is supposed to serve Kubrow food." She sight as Sindr's horrified face "Look, I this ship is a rush-job. Your cell is a repurposed mediation booth, the bathroom is originally designed to disinfect Warframes and my room was supposed to be for the escape pod. Knowing that I might one day blow up with this thing is far worse than eating from the same dispenser as my Kubrow would."

"Look, I'm not picky, it's just… ugh… you guys are so fancy, your Kubrow food would probably taste better than what we got."

"What do you want to drink? We water in several flavours with different degrees of temperature and fizzing." Ria explained calmly "I usually take a green tea before sleeping. Doesn't taste as good as real tea, but what can you do?"

"I'll take plain water. It's probably better than the stuff we had to press out of Ruk's Claws…" Sindr showed her tongue in disgust "Mars water was a nightmare. And the sand went everywhere."

The Tenno offered her a glass. "Who doesn't hate sand? Your tap only has plain water, so if you want something with flavour come here. I also have a coffee maker if you want some for breakfast."

"Thank you, but no. Took me a year to kick my caffeine addiction, not gonna risk a rebound." The Grineer answered and took the glass. Both hands full, she took a step back.

"You can have seconds as much as you like. Our protein tanks are full and the bio compartments are unharmed."

"Good. Big girls need big fuel."

Ria nodded "Say… I was wondering: You're much bigger than most Ballistas, I've ever seen. You're even taller than some Heavy Gunners, right?"

The Ginreer smiled. "Yup, that's my batch. We were all tall and all had pretty good hands, so they gave us Vulkars. The little girls called us 'walking vantage points'."

"Gunners are made without hands?"

"Yeah, Gorgons are a bitch to hold steady, so they clone them without hands and put huge shock-absorbers into the prosthetics. But the cheap starter-arms aren't good for dexterity, so sniping is out of the question. Mine was hand crafted for me after I lost my arm." Sindr explained proudly. "Brass-level stuff." A small pout snuck onto her lips. "Even if I know now that I didn't actually kill anyone to get it."

"If it consoles you, the Tenno was out of commission for a while. If they had the Oro to restart the frame, they'd have finished the sabotage and-"

"I have no idea what Oro is. And please don't start explaining. I'm too hungry." She said quickly, her smile fading. Pity didn't go with supper. "Thanks for the food and good night!" The Grineer turned to go.

"Erm… do you want to eat together?" Ria asked carefully.

"Thank you. But I want to shovel this down, roll over and sleep." Sindr answered on the way "And there is no way in the Void, I'm eating Drahk-chow off the floor!"

"Ok, sleep well!" Ria called after her.

The Gineer stomped back to her room. She had lied. She wanted to eat with Ria. It was fun to have the little Tenno around, tease her, talk to her about small, silly things. But right now…  
Sindr sat down and began to eat.  
Right now, she couldn't trust "fun".

' _Grineer were everywhere'  
_ **'Attack Conkwuer Rule!'  
** _'Or rather: Slaves'  
_ **'Disobedience leads to death!'  
** _'They kept them infantile'  
_ **'Be Good or be Gone!'**

Sindr finished and flopped down on the bed, only taking her arm off. She looked at the prosthetic for a moment. Shiny, golden and much better than it had been a few weeks ago.  
"Things don't change…" she muttered and closed her eyes.

 **"IF OUR ENEMIES DESERVED PEAKE, THEY WOULD HAVE DEFEATED US"**

"Do we?"

* * *

The night was long and when she awoke, Sindr felt the grim certainty that she would be refreshed and full of energy for an entire day. Which meant that she couldn't waste an hour or two napping. It was galling that the most meaningful decision for the day would be if she should eat, train or shower first.  
Food won out.

After putting her limbs back on and washing her hands and face, Sindr made her way back to the main hall, plate in hand. She was greeted by the most adorable view imaginable. Her favourite Tenno was kneeling next to the foundry, head and both hands in a panel in the wall, rear high up in the air. Her light figure was delight to watch and as she walked behind her, the tight Zariman suit left nothing to the imagination and the blue stripe down the middle just stressed the cute heart-shape of Ria's butt.  
Sindr allowed herself a full minute of quiet enjoyment before she cleared her throat.

"Good morning!" Ria said cheerily, without looking up.

"Hey, if I can do anything to speed up repairs, you can just tell me." Sindr said and went over to the food dispenser.

"That's nice, but it's fine, these aren't really repairs." She pulled some long, glassy tube out of the wall. It was seemingly filled with whitish flesh. To Sindr's surprise, she had her Zariman hood on, fully closed. It made her head look a bit like a grumpy fish. "The Orbiter has a few components that I don't ever get to see, but now since several systems are offline, I can snoop around."

"That bored?" The Grineer asked with a sigh.

"I might as well do this now. We'll be running out of stuff to do soon enough. And Sicarius always complains when I'm rummaging around in the ship's parts. He says it tickles him."

"What's up with the mask?" Sindr asked, focusing on the dispenser. Maybe something sweet for breakfast? And what was this cinnamon?

"The organic components are kinda gross. I'm always worried that something might drip in my face." The Tenno answered and opened her hood. She gave the Grineer an inquisitive look. "Is something wrong?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm holding a fleshy rod and I'm talking about stuff dripping in my face. Even Excalibur would have made a joke by now…"

Sindr ignored the question. Her eyes drifted to the Kubrow egg. "Why do you keep that thing if you don't hatch it?"

"The egg? It's fertilized and in stasis. I don't want to kill it, so I'll see that another Tenno can adopt it."

Sindr let out a humourless laugh. "Especially now, where you have a new pet…"

A pipe fell to the ground. The Grineer turned. Ria stared at her, eyes wide, mouth agape, a pained shiver all over her. Sindr felt a twinge of guilt.

"Sindr, you-"

"I'm sorry!" The Grineer interrupted quickly "I don't know where that came from. Just… it was a bad one. Ignore it!"

"No!" Ria said and took a step forward "Sindr, that came from somewhere! Please! Did I do something wrong?"

Sindr turned to the dispenser. Then to Ria. Then to the egg. And then to Ria again. "NO! Look: I've had time to think… and I… I don't like what you told me…" She said with a groan "Not that or how… just… Ugh!"

Ria took another step closer, reaching out slightly. "Sindr, you can tell me…"

"You said that Grineer were slaves. NO! We ARE slaves!" Sindr hissed "We get it implanted, then bashed into our skulls and enforce it constantly on each other. Just that it's no longer the Orokin, but the queens now. But it was… I don't know… honest?" She let out a rattling groan "You follow orders and if you can question them, you better shut up or you get a trip to Rathuum or the Atterax until you're all over the floor. But the queens don't trick you into being happy! You know that your life is shit and you fight and kill and maybe die to make it less shit. When you get enough credits to waste on booze or a cig or the time for a shag, it's yours." She raised her metal arm. "But this Orokin shit… it feels so wrong! I mean… this arm is better than anything I could have ever gotten on earth! There is no more draining implants, wiring scraping my spine or keeping my kidneys connected. And I can disobey! I know it! I don't feel that nagging urge to beg for orders!" Her gaze dropped "At least I think so… Cause now, here, I'm kinda happy… and I don't know if that's me… or that drone fucking my head."

"Sindr, I-"

"AND YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" The Grineer yelled "I like you! You're nice, you're smart and you're really cute and I want to like you and I don't know if I do like you or if it's that fucking drone again!"

"Sindr…" Ria said calmly, though her face was twisted in sadness. One of her arms reached up, stroking the Grineer's shoulder. "Your conditioning… would it ever allow you to hurt the queens?"

"What? No!"

"You think the Orokin would let you hurt their own?"

"No, I… I don't think so!"

"Then you're not conditioned! Because you just hurt me… a lot!"

The Grineer felt another red pang of guilt in her chest. The Tenno's sad face… it was too much. Tears began to flow. "Ria…" A clang rang through the ship as the woman fell to her metal knees. "Ria! I'm so sorry!" she yelled and wrapped her arms around the Tenno. "I'm such a dumb bitch!"

"No, you're a smart bitch!" Ria muttered, her heart beating hard "And because of that, you think too much."

"What can I do?" Sindr sobbed loudly "My head! I… I can think shit, I'm not supposed to think! And I… I don't know if those are my thoughts!"

The Tenno padded her big friend, nestling her cheek against Sindr's head. "Those drones… they attack Tenno viciously. The Orokin would never allow us in their tall towers. If you were not yourself, you would have tried to kill me at every step of the way. They would never allow you to hug me or console me." She pulled closer, her lips close to brushing against the Grineer's ear "Sindr, you're free."

"It's just… I'm scared!" Sindr sobbed louder, her grip slightly tightening "Grineer is Duty! Grineer is Duty! Grineer is DUTY! I can't get it out of my head! What am I without duty? I'm nothing! I can't go back! I have no place to go! I'll be all alone! I… I… don't want to be all alone again! I… saw… I saw what it does! I don't want to go mad! I…"

The Tenno pushed back a bit and gently touched Sindr's tear-soaked cheek with one hand, while looking deep into her orange eyes. "You're free now, Sindr. But not alone. You're not my prisoner or my guest or my pet. You're my friend and I'll never leave you alone!"

Another burst of tears flowed from the big woman's eyes. "Ria!" she wailed and held the Tenno close. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be! It's the Orokin! They are messing with our heads even when they are long dead!" Ria returned the embrace tightly. Her body was flaring up but her friend needed this. "It's ok to be scared." She said gently "You're free now. But that doesn't mean that you're alone." She rubbed Sindr's broad shoulders. "I'm your friend! And even when this is all over, I'll be your friend!"

"You know…" Sindr sobbed and sniffed loudly "For someone who has so few friends… you're really good at making them…"

"Maybe I just have really exquisite taste?" Ria giggled, giving her a pad.

"If I'm the friendship equivalent of blue lipstick…" The Grineer said with sobs between the words "Then please throw me out the airlock."

The Tenno let out a laugh. "Stop making me laugh when I want to console you. It's hard to be comforting when I'm rolling on the floor."

Sindr swallowed. "Seeing you laugh makes me happy…" she muttered "That's why I thought I was-"

Ria pulled back and looked into the woman's eyes, a big smile on her lips. That blue smile... That smile made Sindr's heart beat faster. "How about you get some food while I plunge that fleshy rod back into the quivering walls. And then we go to your room and watch a few videos together?" The Tenno said slowly, one hand on Sindr's cheek.

"Now you're trying too hard…" The Grineer said softly "But it sounds great…" She reached up, wiping her tears away with her good had "So, is it your turn next to burst into tears or can we stop while I'm ahead?"

The Tenno let out a giggle and shook her head. "How about I get one more and then we flip coins?"


	8. Chapter 8

Warframe belongs to DE

Nothing to announce this time, just enjoy.

* * *

So this was how it would all end. After a lifetime of killing, Ria's existence would end here and now. Crushed in the stranglehold of a giant Grineer. The fact that her face was squished into the most amazing breasts in the system was only a small consolation. Though it WAS a consolation. The grip tightened and the life began to drain out of the Tenno's body. Would she return? Would her Oro tie her to this realm, or would she just fall over and breathe her final breath?  
Was this really it?

"BROKERS! TRADING IS COMPLETE!"

"NOOOO!" Sindr wailed loudly. They had failed! 'Investor Relations' had failed! Her team had failed! Her arms went limp.

Ria gasped for air as she escaped the hold and plopped down on the cot. "Sindr! For Void's sake, I feel like I'm in a trash compactor!" she gasped, gaining a bit of distance.

The Grinner looked down at her, a sheepish grin invading her features. "Sorry… I guess I get a bit rough when my Armis can't get his arse moving. Seriously, the guy had such a great run and now this! Talk about a shit match!"

"I didn't realize you were into the Index." The Tenno said, massaging her neck.

"You kidding? The Index is the only reason we bothered intercepting Corpus transmissions on Mars. And the shit we got was grainy as fuck."

"I guess it's just weird to me. I mean, Grineer have Rathuum, right?"

"Rathuum is boring as all heck! Tela is a terrible announcer, the whole set up is unimpressive and 'shocker': I don't like watching Grineer kill other Grineer, even if they are traitors." Sindr said coldly "But the Index is all about risk and reward, quick planning and sorry, Sark is just great! Even if he is one of these Cephalon things."

"Makes sense…" Ria answered and shifted position. She gave Sindr a sideway glance. "So… you're into Armis?"

"Hey, I know a great broker, if I see one! That guy can shoot, run and those traps are smart way to keep himself safe! I don't know why he fucked up this match, but you can't argue with a great record!" She looked over to Ria "So, who's your favourite?"

"Hmm… I'd say Lockjaw."

"You remember all that respect and admiration that I had for you?" Sindr asked with an unmoving face "It's gone… all off it!"

"Hey! What's wrong with Lockjaw?"

"It's not a broker, it's a piece of equipment!"

"It has an AI core and a personality!"

"Everything in a Corpus base has those! You might as well tell me that your favourite broker is Nef's left boot!"

"At least it's distinct! You're apparently willing to play groupie to a guy who looks exactly like the rest of his team!"

"Well, I could technically play groupie to him and his team. Because even I wouldn't fuck a huge piece of ferrite and polymers!"

"Didn't you make glances at my Warframe?"

"At least your Warframe has a personality… and fleshy bits!"

Ria let out a long groan. "Void, are we really fighting over whose sports-star is better?"

"No, we're politely disagreeing. _Fights_ like that usually ended with broken noses. At least they did on Mars."

"Ok, how about we don't throw all that niceness, we built over the last few days out of the window?" The Tenno sighed.

Sindr laughed. "Fine, I'm gonna tolerate that atrocious taste in athletes. Do we have another game?"

Ria snapped her fingers and a hologram grew out of her hand. "Sorry, we watched all I had in my databanks." She said after a quick glance "This was the last Index until we repair the antennae."

"Awwww! Just when I was getting into it!"

"We binge-watched hours of Index games!" The Tenno groaned "If I hear Cephalon Sark one more time this week…"

"So, no reruns?"

"No! And we both know that the matches are never as good the second time!"

The Grineer nodded and leaned back. After a sigh, she looked over to Ria. "Thanks for keeping me company…"

Ria giggled. "Hey, don't go mushy on me again. I told you: I'm your friend and I'll keep you company. Especially when it's this much fun." She playfully punched Sindr's side "Even if you are a bit rough when you're passionate."

There was a moment of silence. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday." Sindr said with a scrunched up face.

"What?"

"You know, when I punched you."

"You punched me?" Ria asked in confusion "Oh! Wait! You mean when I was in Excalibur?"

"You said it was still you."

"Yes… but it's a Warframe. They have insanely high pain thresholds. And even then, my transference was, so I felt nothing at all."

"I'm glad, but when it comes to those things, it's the thought that counts." Sindr stressed "I mean: I know that Tenno don't play as rough as Grineer and I should accept that. I mean, yeah, I'm a big, nasty Grineer but-"

"You forgot smelly." The Tenno interrupted.

"Hahahaha!" Sindr said with a thick layer of sarcasm "Void, can I please apologize to you?"

Ria smiled smugly. "Nope! Because there is nothing to apologize for. At that point in time I really needed a wake-up call and if it comes in the form of a knuckle to the Warframe, then I'm grateful."

"You clever little bitch!" The Grineer laughed and pulled Ria into a side-hug.

The Tenno laughed happily, returning the hug. The crushing fire, that every touch had kindled, had subsided and had become a delightful warmth. And even better: It finally allowed Ria to enjoy what she was embracing. The curve of Sindr's waist was nice and well defined, firm with muscle and warm to the touch. And then there were the breasts. Goodness, the grey jumpsuit did little for suspension or camouflage, so being so close to them was blissful torture. They were perfectly tear-shaped, too big for Ria to grab with one hand and surely soft beyond belief. In the past, the Tenno hadn't really had the time to question her sexuality, but she was pretty sure that even straight girls would dive into these puppies.

"Who would have thought that the best way to deal with the Tenno is to cuddle them?" Sindr mused, her hand rubbing over Ria's back.

"Unconventional warfare is usually a valid option… but to be fair: You're probably the only Grineer who could ever hope to get away with this…" She giggled "Which is good, because we'd be screwed…"

The Grineer leaned back a bit. "So, is there anything you want to watch?"

"Not really…" The Tenno mused, and opened the hologram again. She began rummaging through her files.

"That is suit pretty nifty…"

"Oh yes, this suit is amazing!" Ria giggled "Comfy to wear, hard boots, thin fingertips, warm, never gets sweaty, self-cleaning..." She paused for a second and grinned "Gives my favourite Grineer a nice view of my bum…"

"Oh, you noticed?" Sindr asked. There was not an ounce of sheepishness or guilt in her voice.

"The hood is supposed to enhance my perception... and you're not exactly sneaky with those metal feet." She sighed slightly "I know it sounds silly, but thanks for that… I never really get to feel… you know… sexy."

The Grineer sighed. "Way to make me being a massive pervert sound like some kind of nicety… yeah, you have a cute ass. And that suit really leaves nothing to the imagination." She paused "Say… do you ever take that thing off? I mean… I don't see necessity flaps or-"

"When I'm hooked in my chair, it stuns my digestion and directly supplies me… and when not, I've gotten really good at sliding in and out." Ria bit her lip "Want a demonstration?"

"Ok, now you're really trying too hard." Sindr answer with a frown "I told you, I'm not gonna mess you up completely while we still have full week to look forward to…" She pulled on the hood again "Seriously, if you wear that thing all the time, you're probably so raw under it, your head's gonna fall of as soon as you actually touch my skin for once."

The Tenno pouted "They are good gloves. Like I wear nothing at all."

"Trying too hard!" Sindr sighed "Speaking of… is there a way to get some different clothes? Like a shirt and some lose pants too? This jumpsuit is not good for training! Rides up fiercely…" Sindr asked "Oh! And a bra! These tits are horrendous!"

"I like them!" Ria said before the words had made a stop in her brain.

"Well, wonderful, but you don't have to wobble them around!" Sindr deadpanned "So some support would be nice…"

"Sure, my foundry can probably assemble them without slowing down the rest. What size?"

"Used to be HG but I can't tell now…"

"HG?" Ria asked, raising her eyebrows "Look, the scale only goes from A to E."

"There is an E? And shouldn't it start with S?"

"Sindr… what sizes are there?"

"There are S, B and HG. Oh, and unique, of course!"

Ria let the letters dance through her head a bit. "Oh Void! Scorpion, Ballista and Heavy Gunner!"

"Oh, and while we're at it. Don't you want to change as well?" Sindr asked "I was joking earlier, but seriously, Ii think you could need some air."

"Sure… we can have a pyjama party!" The Tenno laughed. She got up and went to the foundry. The clothes were quickly delivered and the Tenno was abandoned, as Sindr demanded to take a shower before dressing. Now the clothes were sitting next to her. A pair of lose, grey work-out pants, an equally grey t-shirt and fitting underwear. Still slightly warm, comfy and perfectly fitting. So why was the thought of putting them on so unsettling?  
She would still have a bracelet with full access to the ship's functions. She could still use transference, even if it was more difficult. She could still call upon the Void.  
Why did the thought of taking off her Zariman frighten her?  
 _'Because this is the suit that makes me feel at peace. Because it's the closest thing to being in my Warframe. Because Sindr is right...'  
_ "I'm so sick of her being so right!" Ria groaned and slowly pulled down the zipper. The warm air wasn't unwelcome as she squeezed out of the suit. It always amazed her how tightly it fit, even to what she perceived to be a completely curve-less body. For a moment, she stood there, naked, alone, feeling the warm air on her skin, the cold of the floor on her soles, staring at the Zariman and wondering if she should just put it back on.  
After a whole minute of staring, she decided against it, putting on her freshly made clothes. Conservative panties, a pair of flabby jogging pants and wide tank top, all grey and perfect to give her the erotic appeal of a piece of tubing. A boring piece of tubing. Meanwhile, she stuffed her beloved Zariman under the cot.

Then there was a knock on the door.  
"You done in there?" Sindr yelled outside.

"Yes…" Ria screamed back.

The door opened. Ria bit her lip. Sindr was dressed basically like her. But the Grineer made it look so good! The "support" had just accented the most wonderful mounds of cloned flesh in the entire system and the tank-top gave her a cleavage that you could hide a Gorgon in. It also ended a bit too high, showing just a bit of navel on firm muscle, while the pants hugged her hips and thighs tightly. The Tenno had to fight both a serious case of jealousy and what Sicarius would have described as ravenous lust. She quickly pushed the thought aside.

Sindr stopped herself halfway to the cot. "I just realized that I was knocking on my own cell…" She mused loudly "Something in my life has gone horribly wrong."

"Because it's weird for a prisoner or because you did something polite?" Ria asked with a smile "So… what do we do now?"

The Grineer plopped down next to her, stretching a bit. She looked over to the Tenno and ran a finger over her exposed arm. "Hey, you are brown everywhere!"

"And you are big everywhere… so… what do you want to do?"

"I don't know… got something you want to watch?"

"Not really…" The Tenno muttered, trying not to steal too many glances "I'm more into reading."

Sindr rolled her eyes. "Of course you are…" She looked around for a moment "Say, how about we put on some music and… hey! You can show me some pictures or your frame collection! I've never really seen more than the prude. The other two were a bit of a haze."

"They are not a 'collection', they are specialized weapons, crafted for…" She interrupted herself "Whatever, why not, it could be fun?" Ria said and opened up the hologram again and pushed a few buttons. Soft music began to play and the screen changed to show a list of photos.

"Which one is the best?"

"There isn't a 'best'. They are all specifically grown and assembled to fill specific roles. Ash is great for assassinating, Rhino can take a beating, Excalibur excels at open combat." The Tenno explained.

"Ok, fine, which ones do you have?"

"I have Excalibur, Ash, Loki, Oberon and Rhino!" Ria said proudly "A perfect mix, if you ask me!"

Sindr looked over the frames. "They are all dudes?"

The question hit like a Fragor. "Well, yes, all of them are coded male…"

"What do you mean 'coded'? You said, they have dicks!"

Ria groaned. "Can't we do anything without genitals coming up?"

"You are really barking up the wrong tree there…" Sindr laughed "I told you: 3 joys in life and I had favourites."

"Are all Grineer this fixated?"

The Grineer put on a serious face. "I think I'm just a really big slut… and kinda proud of it." she mused "You said it: Big everywhere. Oh! Do you have pictures of the others too? Can you show me the one that I killed?"

"Sure… I think you destroyed an Equinox. It's a bit of a strange frame… and very difficult to assemble." Ria explained.

"Seriously? I'm not into pity, you know…"

"Yes… the parts are expensive!"

"At least I did something." Sindr said and tilted her head a bit "So… what are yours like?"

Ash appeared on screen.  
"This is Ash. He is my infiltration frame. As I said, a complete perfectionist, but amazing at sudden strikes, disengagement and movement." Ria explained happily "I know, the arms are a bit weird, but otherwise, he is a very good choice."

"Why is it smoking?"

"I have no idea! When I first chose him, I paniced until Lotus explained to me that it was normal…" The Tenno looked up. "Aren't you going to ask me how big his penis is or something?"

"And spoil the surprise?" Sindr asked in shock. She wrapped her arm around Ria's shoulder and pulled her closer "Listen to experience, dear, never ask!" She stretched out her other hand and followed and imagined horizon "If you go for dick, don't ask, don't wonder, enjoy the anticipation because they are never as big as you want them! At least when you're as big as me…"

The Tenno didn't listen. Sindr's hand… it was the first time, she could relish the feeling on her skin. It was rough, calloused and felt like someone had filled the skin with steel-wires. But she liked the feeling. "Hey! My head is still on!" Ria giggled and moved closer, their sides touching slightly.

The Grineer looked over, a bit of guilt on her face. "Oh… right… so… next frame?" she asked quickly, but her hand stayed in place.

"You already know Excalibur… ok, this is Rhino. He is basically one big battering ram. But really protective at the same time. A total softie."

"Reminds me a bit of that Nox, I had a thing with…" Sindr mused, looking over the solid frame.

"WHAT?" Ria yelled "You… with a NOX? That's disgusting!"

"I know what you're thinking, but when they use the right cocktail, the smell is rather pleasant. And for a girl like me, it's the only chance to get a partner that can give you the 'feeling safe' thing. But they have giant mood swings when the different chems kick in… so… once was enough."

"I'm more… wah! You didn't catch anything, did you?"

"Void, Nox are so full of chemicals, any bug dies instantly. And if you haven't noticed, we Grineer are really good at medicine. There is no virus or bacteria that survives one treatment. And we get lots of those…"

Ria opened her mouth. Then she closed it. Thinking about it, Sindr was right. Grineer medical science was crude, blunt and cumbersome, but it was also incredible. Some of them were basically reduced to heads on the end of tubes and still lived on their very angry lives. And the degenerative disease, they all suffered from, came from the damages of excessive cloning, not infection. Venereal diseases were probably something their doctors cured during nap-time.

"Or are you jealous?" Sindr asked with a grin.

"No!" The Tenno blurted out. Then her gaze dropped. "Well… a bit…"

"Awww! That's actually moving! You're so cute!" The Grineer cooed. "Don't worry, I'll never have any sex with another Grineer ever again!"

"Cause they'd capture and dissect you on sight?"

"That may be a factor…" Sindr answered with a grin.

Ria sighed and rested her head on Sindr's shoulder. "I guess, I don't like sharing."

"Great…" the bigger woman sighed "Keep this up and I might feel like giving monogamy a chance…"

"You know what monogamy means?" The Tenno giggled.

"Yes! 'Gamy' means 'Fucking' and 'mono' means 'boring'! So it's boring fucking and fucking boring!"

Ria playfully elbowed Sindr. "Well, you better give it a try if you want a chance with me…"

"Don't play coy now. We both know that you're all too eager for a little Grineer offensive!" Sindr said with a grin. "You're doing way better than expected." Her hand rubbed lower, leaving Ria's arm and touching her side, gently rubbing over the small curve of her waist.

The Tenno's hear skipped a beat and she closed here eyes, a dreamy smile forming on her lips. A flame of boldness burst through her and she put a hand on the thigh next to her. Oh, Void, Sindr could probably crack ferrite with those.

"So… is it still monogamy if we add a third party?" Sindr asked, her hand slowly travelling south. "Cause I knew these two Scorpions, who were really monogamous and that didn't keep them from inviting me for a spin."

"Can we discuss this after I'm done falling for you?" The Tenno sighed. "Right now I only care about you and me. And I like where it's going…"

Sindr's hand traveled a little lower, resting on Ria's hip. The Tenno reacted so incredibly well today and Sindr felt herself losing to her attraction. "So… you're falling for me?"

Ria nodded, not a care in the system.

The Grineer gritted her teeth. Whatever battle was raging inside of her conscience was slowly tipping to one side and she hoped it was the side that wouldn't hurt her friend. She swallowed.

The Tenno felt movement and a metal arm brushing under her knees. Suddenly, there was a tug and her eyes shot open as Sindr picked her up. For a moment, she was suspended in two strong arms. For a moment, Ria had found the one feeling in the universe that made her feel more complete than transference. The feeling of being lovingly held by those strong and caring arms.  
Much too soon, Sindr sat the Tenno onto her lap and pulled her close.

Ria wanted to say something but suddenly, two iron fingers grabbed her chin and turned her to face Sindr. There was so much conflict in those beautiful orange eyes.

"If it gets too much, tell me, I'll stop!" Sindr hissed "You don't do this for me! I like you and I want you to feel good and I don't know any other way!"

The Tenno just managed to nod.

Then Sindr kissed her and the world seemed to shrink. Everything around disappeared and lost meaning as Ria's entire focus turned to those rough lips that pressed against hers. Her eyes slammed shut and she surrendered, let Sindr's lips move and nip on hers.  
Soon, much too soon, the Grineer retreated. Only then did Ria notice that her breath had begun to rattle and that her tiny chest was heaving. Sindr's metal hand rubbed over her cheek and Ria couldn't help but be impressed with how much gentleness she could feel in the iron.

"You Ok?" The bigger woman asked gently.

Ria began to tremble and suddenly burst into laughter. "Oh Void! I've never felt better!" she squeaked, wrapping her arms around Sindr "Literally!"

Sindr let out a sigh of relief and allowed herself the joy of feeling the Tenno wiggle in her arms. She was so light and warm and so delightfully easy to embrace. "I was so worried, I'd hurt you again…" she muttered.

"I was scared too…" The Tenno whispered gently "But… today I feel happy and nothing more." Suddenly her eyes shot open and she pushed away, looking at Sindr in shock.

"Is eve-"

"It's the damned suit!" Ria interrupted, eyes wide.

"What?"

"Remember what I said? It's supposed to enhance perception! But I thought it only did that when it was enclosed!" She explained quickly "No wonder I couldn't take it!"

Sindr's eyes went half-lid and her face seemed to deflate. "How are you winning this war again?"

"Isn't being better at correcting mistakes than avoiding them the whole basis of Grineer reproduction?"

"I'm not gonna kiss you again if I might get cut with that sharp tongue of yours…" Sindr said with a slowly forming smile "So… you're slightly less fucked up than we thought… that's good."

"Slightly less?"

"You're still a top tier nutcase." The Grineer grinned "Just the way I like them."

"Yes, I guess…" Ria laughed "I mean… what I'm about to do is literally the dumbest thing I could do… but I'm gonna do it anyways."

"And what would that be?" Sindr asked with a smirk.

The Tenno smiled, ran a gentle hand through the Grineer's short, pale hair and kissed her again. And again. Sindr's lips were rough and dry and scratchy and most importantly: Completely addicting. Every kiss made Ria's stomach flutter. She was kissing her enemy, her prisoner, a cloned humanoid, filled with genetic damages, crude implants, who led a life of violence and debauchery. And it was so awesome!

After minutes of furious kisses and nips, Sindr began to laugh. "Am I blue now?" She asked, riding high on a trail of endorphins.

"No. This is not some cheap animal fat paste!" Ria said, a big grin parting her blue lips "It's a dermal compound. When it's on, it's on and it can only be removed with the stick's etui."

"Challenge accepted!"

The kissing continued but neither were quite willing to go beyond. As much as Sindr enjoyed their fooling around, Ria's obvious inexperience soon stopped being charming and began to be a bit of a turn-off. Whenever she began being more aggressive and brought a bit of tooth into their nips and nibbles, the Tenno went stiff. This time not because of being overwhelmed emotionally, but because she had no idea what to do.

Finally, tiredness and exhaustion won and both collapsed onto the cot. Ria instantly cuddled up to her big friend, enjoying every bit of Sindr she could hug.

"That was fun…" The Grineer sighed and wrapped her arm around the Tenno.

"Oh yes!" Ria giggled her face buried in Sindr's shoulder.

"But it really shows that you were stuck inside these bodies without lips for whatever long…" Sindr said with a grin. "You're a terrible kisser."

"No doubt about it!" The Tenno laughed "But this is my first time kissing, so I think I deserve a bit of a break."

"Great… and I was proud that I've never cracked a vat my entire life."

"Cracked a vat?"

"You know… fucking someone for their first time."

"Grineer colloquialisms are pretty blunt, aren't they?"

* * *

Yay! After nine chapters, we have kissing! Just 162341341 more and we might see a nipple!


	9. Chapter 9

Warframe belongs to DE. And I always think of German web-providers when I see that.

Warning!  
If you have read this M-rated story about two women stuck on a spaceship together for 8 chapters but don't like the idea of a small trans-human hyper being and a huge abomination of cloning and genetic engineering getting very nice with each other (AS GOD INTENDED!), I suggest you don't read this chapter or any chapter in the future.  
Oh... and Spoiler: Sex will happen.

Enjoy!

* * *

The room was mostly dark. Illumination had been set to a complete minimum, all displays were offline and there were no objects that could produce any lights. The only thing that pierced the darkness was the glow of the Void within Ria's eyes. She had left Sindr after a while of snuggling, kissing and sadly not more. Departing had been hard for the Tenno, but she didn't want to keep the Grineer from training. Now she was in bed, freshly showered, naked and ready to get some rest.  
Only that she couldn't. Right now, all her thoughts were circling around that dumb, sexy Grineer in her Orbiter and what she would tell first Sicarius and then Lotus once their voices returned to her. And they would be very angry voices, as it was not good procedure to hug, snuggle and snog prisoners OR guests. There had to be some Tenno law about that...  
But what was she supposed to do? Not be attracted to such a strong personality, winning confidence and quick mind? That would be just as hard as ignoring those physical assets. Ria turned in her bed. "And she is really kind…" She bit her lip. It was getting difficult to keep her hands above the blanket… there was only one thing to do: Roll over and think about Lunaro. Lots and lots of Lunaro.

* * *

Ria awoke to the soothing sounds of her own stomach screaming for sustenance, the best alarm anyone could ever ask for. Since there was no helpful Cephalon to get her food to her bed, she decided to get up and feed her scrawny self. For a moment, she wondered what to wear, but after a bit of consideration, the Zariman won out. Maybe she could do some meditation and Transference training after eating. Yesterday had been fun and amazing, but not very productive.  
The Tenno spared only a quick glance at the chronometer and realized that she had taken a really long nap. All that tossing and turning had kept her awake for quite a while. At the food dispenser, she served herself a massive portion (for her standards), knelt down and began eating on the spot. A merit of the Tenno way. After finishing her second plate, something caught her attention: They were out of clean plates. Hers was the last one. Sindr hadn't returned those in her room. Ria let out a sigh. It was true: As soon as you had roommates, the dishes stopped getting done. The Tenno put her plate into the dishwasher. Her face scrunched up. This was an amazing excuse to get a morning kiss. But was it a good idea to-  
"No, no it isn't!" Ria groaned "And I'm still gonna do it like the idiot that I am!"

The idiot slowly made her way to Sindr's room. A part of her was sickened by how addicted she had become to this kind of contact. It was the part that missed the Second Dream. The part that resented her humanity and all its repugnant weakness.

She reached the door, she pushed the button. It didn't open. Maybe Sindr was still asleep? Ria closed her eyes. She could hear movement inside. The Grineer was awake. Time passed and finally, iron feet approached the door. It opened. Ria raised an eyebrow. Sindr had tied her blanked around herself to cover up, her face was deep red and there was sweat on her forehead. Maybe she was working out… naked… in her…

"Yes?" The Grineer asked rudely.

"Erm… good morning." Ria offered with a smile.

"Oh, it was about to get really good…" Sindr hissed "What do you want? I'm kinda busy."

"I… the plates. We're out of plates. You have to take yours up to wash before eating." The Tenno said quickly "Uhm… sorry for disturbing you… I didn't know you were… erm… what were you doing?"

Sindr rolled her eyes so hard, they almost fell out of their sockets. "What does it look like? I'm naked, I'm in bed, I'm sweaty! Do you really need a picture?"

Ria felt her cheeks flush so hard, blood was probably pushing through the skin. "Wait… you mean you were…"

"I've had this body for almost two weeks now… about fucking time, I went for a spin with it!"

"Can you please act at least a bit ashamed?" Ria yelled.

"For what? Are you telling me that you Tenno are above giving yourself a diddle every now and then?" Sindr asked in annoyed surprise "You know that those cod-pieces we have are detachable, right? Rubbing one out between breaks is basically the only thing that-"

"Please stop!" The Tenno sobbed "I don't want to imagine what Grineer do in the bathroom between patrols!"

Sindr snorted. "Bathrooms… hardly ever got that luxury in the field." She rolled her eyes at Ria's response again and sighed "So, info accepted… food needs plates, anything else? Cause I want to get this over with." A grin spread on the Grineer's face "Unless you offer to help out…"

Ria felt her lips dry up. "Can I?" She asked much too quick for her own liking.

Sindr tilted her head to the side and leaned against the doorframe. "The way you kiss, not really… I'd have to give you a crash course."

The Tenno lowered her gaze. "You know… it was all fun yesterday… but am I really that bad at-"

"No, it's fun today too…" The Grineer interrupted and sighed "Look, I'm half joking. As long as you're outside of that suit, you can probably take it. But I don't want to force you into anything. So, if you really want to try a morning romp-"

"YES!" Ria yelled "I'm sick of this! I'm sick of being teased and shoved away while you waltz around my ship, all sexy and amazing! I'm tired to finding new reasons why I want you every five minutes and then having to slump back to my bed alone and sad! Stop teasing me! Just-"

She was stopped by a gentle hand tussling her hair. "So much ego stroking in the morning is really putting me in the mood… fine… I'm pretty sick of holding back too." She bent over, so her face was close to Ria's ear "Better get this done before my great and powerful Tenno starts begging me for sex!"

A pang of shame shot through the Tenno, but before she could answer Sindr grabbed her hips and flung the small woman effortlessly over her shoulder.

"SIIIINDR! I have to change first!" Ria giggled as the Grineer turned to walk into her room. The feeling of being carried around like this was exhilarating and a small part of her wished that Sindr would place her steadying hand a bit higher.

"Oh, you won't spend much time in that. I feel overdressed already."

"Can we at least go to my room?" Ria asked quickly, inable to keep her legs from wiggling in excitement "My bed is bigger."

"Now you're talking my language!"

The path to Ria's room was filled with laughing and giggling. As soon as they arrived in the small chamber, the Tenno was unceremoniously dropped onto the bed. Ria scuffled back a bit and lied down on her back, her legs bent to the side to show off her butt and both arms besides her head.

Sindr stopped and for a moment, the Grineer found herself at a lack of words. Before her lay a dream she had no idea one could have.

Ria fluttered her eyelashes. "Something wrong?"

"You know… for someone who doesn't feel sexy all that often… you kinda are." The Grineer said with a strained voice. She just wanted to pounce, but she held back.

"You say the silliest things!" the Tenno giggled.

Sindr sighed and sat down at the end of the bed. Slowly, she removed her leg prosthetics and finally turned to Ria. "They might rip up your bed… pretty sharp edges." she said quickly. Then she rolled her eyes. "I was hoping you'd be out of that thing by now."

Ria bit her lip, the smile never fading off her blue lips. "I was hoping you'd help me… You're very good at… removing barriers…"

"And thinking I was wasting my time all alone…" Sindr sighed, but a smile formed. She crawled closer and next to Ria, where she rested on her flank. "So… where is the zipper?"

The Tenno undid the huge collar and shoulder parts of the Zariman and showed Sindr the top zipper of the suit.

The Grineer took a deep breath. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so nervous before a romp. This darn sexy Tenno was getting to her. Slowly, she grabbed the zipper and began to pull down, revealing inch upon inch of Ria's dark skin. Sindr slowed down a bit when she reached her chest, enjoying the small hill the zipper had to climb before it returned to a slender valley. She couldn't wait to see those adorable mounts free.

The Tenno gasped at the invading air. So far, she had been able to overplay how immensely nervous she truly was. But she wanted this. She wanted this so much.

Finally, the zipper stopped. In that magical area right between navel and her holiest. Sindr looked into Ria's eyes. "Last chance to bail." She muttered "After this, I won't need my imagination…"

"A bit of a step down then…" Ria muttered but smiled "Sindr, I want this... I want you!"

"I just… this comes a bit sudden."

The Tenno groaned. "Sindr, I couldn't sleep half the night because I was thinking about how much I want this! You were right about the first time! You really were! But I can't take it anymore! You have awoken the woman within the Warframe, now take responsibility and give her what she needs!" A grin formed on her lips "I want you elbow deep in that cute ass of mine!"

The Grineer rolled her eyes. "You know, it is weird when you say it…" she said with a sigh. Her fingers wandered inside of the suit, brushing over the Tenno's warm skin and she slowly pulled. Ria rose, slowly emerging from the suit. It brushed over her small breasts, revealed her dusky nipples and the slight outline of her ribs. Her flat stomach and the delicate curve of her waist. It stopped as the suit just covered her hips. Slowly, Sindr ran a hand over Ria's belly, feeling her heart beat a bit faster. She had never seen such a delicate body before. A body that was allowed to be soft and beautiful. A stomach, void of pecks and hardness, cute, small breasts, tipped with night-black nipples, creamy brown skin that had never felt the knife or scalpel and narrow shoulders that begged to be held and protected. It was almost too perfect.

Ria's face was burning as the Grineer averted her gaze for a moment. "I know…" Ria muttered "I'm not very impressive…"

Anger flashed over Sindr's face. "Yeah, that's why I'm fucking speechless right now!" she said sharply "I've literally never seen anything more beautiful than… heck, I bet I won't… ever… look, you're fucking amazing, ok?"

A smile crept on the Tenno's lips. "Thank you… that means more than you think."

The Grineer's expression softened. "Just stating the obvious…" Her finger circled Ria's bellybutton once.

Ria shivered happily under Sindr's touch. "Sindr… you said that you'd show me how to… you know… please you."

"Always curious, aren't you?" The Grineer said with a grin "Well, we have to get you out of this suit first, right?"

The Tenno nodded, smile never fading. "Would you?"

Sindr let out a small laugh and sat up. Carefully, she grabbed the hem of Ria's suit and began to pull further. She did it as slowly as possible, enjoying every inch of dark skin that she uncovered. As the suit's hem made its way over Ria's butt, Sindr pulled up, forcing the Tenno's legs straight in the air and presenting her ebony cheek. She ran her hand over them, enjoying the feeling of soft warmth and the barely audible gasps she got out of the Tenno. Finally, she pulled the suit over Ria's feet and tossed it to the side, but kept the Tenno's legs in the air.  
"You have nice legs…" Sindr muttered, apparently fascinated with Ria's calves and knees.

"You got a thing for legs?" The Tenno asked with a grin and wiggled her toes.

"Doubt it… but I've never seen any real lady-legs. Especially none with this colour scheme." Sindr explained with a smile. "By the way, I know that my batch came out without any hair, but how come you only have hair on your head?"

"I shave. The suit has intertwining lamellae inside. Sits snug and comfy but rips out your hair every time you take it off." Ria sputtered quickly. Embarrassment began to take over. Sindr was basically holding her like a freshly caught fish and it felt both uncomfortable and strangely arousing. Ria wasn't sure if she liked what she was finding out about herself.

Sindr let go and Ria shuffled back a little so the Grineer could have a full view of her in all her naked beauty. The Grineer allowed herself a few moments of quiet enjoyment before she noted the silent begging in Ria's glowing eyes. She crept closer and rolled to her side. "You really have no idea what to do, don't you?" She asked, a sly grin on her lips.

Ria averted her gaze. "I've never had a partner." She said slowly "And texts don't really-"

She was interrupted as a gentle hand rubbed over her cheek and turned her to lock eyes with Sindr. "Shhhh… you're with the best." the Grineer whispered with a sparkle in her orange eyes "This is all about having fun, so relax. We'll find out how you like it and then we repeat and repeat…" Her fingers closed around the Tenno's chin and she leaned in for a kiss.

The Tenno sighed happily as their lips met. She had spent hours in this bed worrying and all that was blown away by this kiss. She put one hand behind the bigger woman's neck and held her close, the kiss deepening slowly but steadily. Her entire body was burning with anticipation. Her heart skipped several beats as she felt Sindr's lips part, inviting her to explore further. The Tenno didn't waste a second. Her tongue began to explore the Grineer's mouth, roaming over teeth and cheeks, just to have a small dance with the second tongue in between. Ria retreated only when her head was swimming and her lungs begged for air. She fell back onto the bed, her small chest heaving and her expression an adorable mess of happiness.

Sindr didn't allow her respite and closed in. She began trailing sloppy kisses down Ria's cheek, every single one left a feeling of pure fire on the Tenno's skin. She gasped loudly as Sindr reached her neck and began working lips and teeth on her pulse.  
"You taste so good… so clean…" The Grineer moaned before running her tongue over Ria's collarbone before making the Tenno gasp through a playful bite.

Ria didn't answer. Not verbally at least. She just held kept caressing Sindr's head and broad shoulders while moaning and groaning helplessly, too deep in bliss to think about clever remarks. Her fingers slipped through stubby, blond hair as she gently pushed down, hoping to steer the Grineer lower and lower.

But the bigger woman spent her time kissing and nibbling the area around Ria's neck, deeply enjoying the Tenno squirming under her touch and knowing how much she needed her to go lower. Finally, Sindr obliged, trailing kisses downwards over Ria's sternum. Then she looked up, making sure that her chin was firlmy pressed between the Tenno's breasts.  
"Left or right?" Sindr asked, an impish glee in her eyes.

"I don't care!" Ria groaned. Her dusky nipples had become hard as rock and basically begged for attention.

"Hm… if I start with the left, I can have fun with the right too. But if I lean over and start with right I could…" Sindr mused with a broad grin "Aw, fine, you have suffered enough…" She said with a giggle as Ria's lips began to quiver. Sindr gave the left nipple a gentle kiss, which sent a shiver through the Tenno's whole body. Slowly, the Grineer began to trace the dark areola with her lips, enjoying the sleek texture before she took the hardened numb in the middle in her mouth and gently suckled and licked. Her hand crept upwards and began to cup Ria's other breast. Yes, they were small, but still soft and nicely firm. Wonderful to touch and tease. Sindr gave the nipple a gentle flick before she returned to massaging and caressing.

Ria moaned loudly and happily. The heat in her body was slowly travelling south and with every nip and lick of Sindr's, she felt herself readying. The Grineer's assault was so wonderfully gentle yet firm, so caring and yet with that constant sense of challenge that Ria had begun to love. Another wave of arousal shot through her as Sindr gave her a more forceful suckling and the Tenno's knees slammed together. She could feel her flower dewing.

Sindr looked up again. The Tenno was a wonderful mess of lust and delight already. Few things got her off more than turning her friends into drooling sex-vegetables. But she could and would do much more. "Wow, I can smell it from here, you're soaked already!" she teased, gently pulling Ria's breast with her hand.

The Tenno nodded, the glow in her eyes unfocused. "You're just too good…"

"Not bad for one hand and one mouth, isn't it?" Sindr asked with a laugh. She shifted, sitting up a bit while putting her metal arm under Ria to pull her close.

The Tenno shivered at the coolness of the metal and looked up, past the Grineer's huge chest. She felt a bit like a child in her mother's arms.

"You had your demonstration… time you showed me if you paid attention…" Sindr said eagerly. Her real hand moved backwards and pulled down the blanket around her body. Ria's eyes almost spilled over as the Grineer's huge breasts bounced in new-found freedom. Sindr's grin broadened at the obvious response. "How long have you been ogling them?"

"Erm… from the start…" Ria admitted sheepishly.

"Well, haven't you been patient then?" Sindr said with a grin "I've shown you the basics. Enjoy yourself…"

The Tenno didn't waste a second and grabbed the left mound with her hand while instantly kissing the right one. They were so soft, so warm and smelled so nice. Ria weighted them in her hand, squished and kneaded with gusto. Even the imperfections, like the long scar that ran down her sternum just added to the picture. This was the bosom of a woman that was born without the luxury of good health or safety. The thought just made the Tenno more and more eager to caress and kiss them. To give them all the love and comfort that Sindr deserved.

The Grineer let out a happy gasp as Ria's eagerness began to spill over her. The Tenno had the softest lips she had ever felt and her hands were so nimble and delicate. Mating among the grunts was usually a quick and dirty deal that didn't allow for too much care and gentleness could be mistaken for weakness, so this feeling of just letting Ria explore her body was both new and refreshing. Still, she swallowed all the tingles and sensations of joy. This was about showing Ria the ropes. Sindr would get her fun in time. Still, those soft, blue lips were slowly becoming too much even for the staunch Grineer to handle and she decided to take the next step.  
Ria almost didn't notice as Sindr's hand ran down her side, over her hip, her thigh and suddenly her eyes bulged open and a shivering gasp escaped her full mouth. The Grineer grinned, her finger gently prodding the Tenno's lower lips. "Void help me…" she said, her orange eyes filled with mischief "Never touched anything so smooth and tight in my whole life. Makes me really wish I had a dick. You must feel amazing!"

The Tenno didn't answer. What could she say?

"And you're soaked, my dear." Sindr added and held her moist finger up to Ria's face "Have a taste?"

Ria bit her lip. "I know what I taste like…"

"You really are curious, aren't ya?" Sindr shrugged and happily licked over her finger, the tangy aroma sending a shiver through her. She didn't waste any more time and returned her hand to Ria's inner thighs, running her fingers over them while making sure to only brush against her opening. The sight of Ria squirming at every touch was just as delicious as the Tenno herself.

Ria had stopped suckling Sindr's breasts. She was too busy dealing with the jolts of pleasure that Sindr's hand caused her. The teasing was unbearable. She just wanted this wonderful hand to start. To touch her where she wanted to be touched, needed to be touched.  
Finally, Sindr ran two fingers over her dusky lips, parting them just a bit in the process. Slowly, she inserted her index finger, accompanied by the Tenno's loud groan. Ria was tight as a vice, her folds desperately clenching down on the appendage, as if to never let it leave again.

"You know, it's not gonna be fun if you don't relax." Sindr said casually and bent her finger a bit, causing the Tenno to lift her hips a bit.

"How… ah… how am I supposed to relax with your finger in my… in me?"

"Because it's gonna be pretty painful once the second one goes in. And believe me, it will. Or do you want to spend the rest of time getting yourself off with pencils?" Sindr asked with a grin.

Ria closed her eyes and took several shaky breaths. Worries were pooling in the back of her mind. Had she spent too much time in male Warframes? Had penetration become so alien to her body? Would Sindr really hurt her like that?  
No!  
Her eyes shot open and she reached up to Kiss the Grineer again. Sindr obliged and they shared a deep kiss. Her lips were gentle, her arms strong and caring… Ria felt peace sweep over her. She knew she could give herself to this woman. Share her human, her true flesh with her.

Sindr smiled against the kiss as she felt the almost painful pressure on her finger softening. Still, as tense as it was, she would hurt Ria if she went all out. "I have just the thing to relax you even more." Sindr said with a grin. She left the Tenno's folds and began to run her fingers up and down her slit, just softly parting Ria's inner lips. The reaction was imminent, Ria bucking her hips to follow that wonderful finger. As strange as the penetration had felt at first, she missed it immediately. She desired to envelop it again.  
Sindr smiled and sped up, rubbing faster and rougher. Her hand found Ria's swollen clitoris and she began focusing on the little nub, rubbing and stroking it as hard and fast as she could. Ria griped the tall woman's broad shoulder as the pleasure spread through her. The teasing had stopped and Sindr was going for the goal. Her body was racked by unknown pleasures. The Tenno moaned helplessly, her head swimming in lust. Doubt, worries, duty, they all succumbed as Ria's world centred on one strong hand that viciously rubbed her pussy. Pressure built up, much stronger and faster than any time she had tended to herself and she let out a scream of joy as she reached her climax.  
Ria's head fell back, eyes unfocused and her chest heaving. Her legs twitched uselessly and her fingers had left white spots on Sindr's shoulders.

Sindr grinned at her voraciously. "Talk about a hair-trigger. You know… when I wanted to take my new body for a spin, I didn't count on it being small and brown…" she said and raised her soaked hands to Ria's face "Try it now."

The Tenno obliged and Sindr's fingers disappeared between her blue lips. Ria suckled them absentmindedly, her eyes only on the Grineer. Finally, they pulled back and left with a loud pop. "That was amazing…" Ria mumbled "Thank you, Sindr. I'm so happy tha-"

"You think I'm done with you." Sindr interrupted "I didn't limber you up just out of principle, you know." Her expression became that of a very hungry Kavat in front of a tasty Charger "If you want to get me off, you need a bit more than that… and this is a demonstration, right?"

Ria felt a chill run down her spine. A stark contrast to the heat in her loins. "Well, I do like learning…" she said though a slightly nervous grin.

Sindr's hand returned to Ria's loins. This time she entered the Tenno's pussy with two fingers, causing her to groan loudly. Ria's pussy was sore and overly sensitive and she was sure she could feel every single finger joint separately, as they pushed into her.  
Then it began. Sindr began pumping in and out while her thumb rubbed over Ria's pearl. Ria let out a cry and threw her head back, her blue hair whipping through the air. Sindr's hands were incredibly dextrous for someone of her strength and she was obviously experienced. The feeling intensified as the Grineed leaned down and began to suck on her breast. Ria's tongue lolled out of her mouth as all thought vanished from her mind, replaced by pure rapture. Sindr sped up, her cloned muscles bulging under the tension. She penetrated, stirred, rubbed and licked as hard as she could, grinning inwardly at her lover's state. Her fingers felt as if they were melting inside of Ria's velvety folds. The Tenno's body convulse under her second orgasm, but Sindr continued, faster, harder.  
Ria moaned helplessly. Her body was lost in pleasure and all she felt was that repeated pressure building up. Her third climax approached and her hips bucked. Something seemed to break and all pressure released. Sindr let out a laugh as Ria came a third time, harder and more intense than before. Hot fluids drenched the Grineer up to the forearm and sullied the Tenno's bed.  
Ria's chest was heaving with shaky breaths, hardly able to support the girl. Her legs and arms had become numb and all she felt was her clitoris pulsing. She didn't respond as two strong arms moved her backwards and placed her unto the bed, her pussy leaving a wet trail.

"Well, that was fun!" Sindr said with a grin and flopped down next to the Tenno.

Ria closed her eyes. Her mind was slowly returning from the place it went. Transference was a joke compared to this.

"Still going to thank me?" Sindr asked innocently.

"Hah… yes… that was… amazing…" The Tenno gasped. She clumsily began to move closer to hug the Grinees.

Sindr smiled and pulled her close. "You're amazing. I've never had this much fun breaking a girl in. You know what? Monogamy it is."

Ria let out a laugh. Then another. And another… and then she burst into laughter. Her hands covered he eyes as the laughing grew louder.

"Hey, you ok?" Sindr asked as worry snuck into her heart.

"No!" Ria said, still laughing merrily "This was a giant mistake and I looooove it!" She kissed Sindr's neck, nestling against her chest "Sicarius was right, Lotus was right and I just engaged in sexual intercourse with a prisoner of war." She laughed once more "Under the charter of war and engagement, I just raped you… and I'm so gonna do it again!"

Sindr gave her a cross look. "That's on your mind? Really?"

"No, you are…" Ria said with a sigh "But if I think about you, I also think about how I want to do this with you for the rest of my life and that… Void, I am so fucked." She locked gazes with Sindr, affection radiating from her glowing eyes "Why do you have to be so amazing? Things would be easier if you were an asshole…"

"Cause if I wasn't, I wouldn't deserve you." The Grineer said with a sigh. Those eyes… she could get lost in them. "Or do you want things to be easy?"

"Void no! I'm gonna get this all sorted out and we will have the best of times!" Ria giggled and placed a quick peck on Sindr's cheek. "So, your turn now?" She asked with a smile.

Sindr blinked. A realization washed over her. "Nah… I'm kinda done…" she said with a wave of her hand "And you can hardly move your legs, let alone get me off now."

"You sure?" Ria muttered and snuggled closer.

"Hey, you're gonna conduct this train soon enough. Right now, you calm yourself down and in the evening, we can give it a shot…"

"That sounds nice." The Tenno sighed and rested her cheek on Sindr's neck.

The two just lay there, enjoying each other's embraces and warmth. The minutes passed but neither wanted to let go. Sindr pulled Ria a bit closer and ran her hand over her back. Suddenly she stopped short. "What is that?" She asked as her fingers ran over something between Ria's shoulder blades. It felt like a valley of metal that seamlessly merged into the Tenno's flesh. There were several more, criss-crossing down her spine. She hadn't noticed until now. "What are those?" she asked.

"Just implants…"

"Never felt an implant like that before." Sindr said carefully "I mean… it's like you skin became metal…"

"Orokin technology… to better my connection to the void they merged metal enhancers directly into my flesh. It also makes me immune to the infestation. Kinda like a vaccine. Don't worry… it's harmless. I was lucky it's where only you can see it…" Ria said quickly. After a while she asked. "Sindr?"

"Yeah?"

"What does your name mean?"

"What?" Sindr asked surprised.

"Just… does it have a meaning?"

"I think it's that shit that's supposed to burn really well… never looked into it…"

"Cinder…" Ria sighed happily "It fits you so well."

The Gineer sighed. "Hey… since we are asking dumb questions." She bit her lip for a moment "Is this gonna keep you from killing Grineer?"

Sindr could feel Ria's face harden on her neck. "You know the answer." The Tenno said calmly.

A smile crept onto Sindr's lips and her next words were inaudible. "Good!"

* * *

Sorry for the long wait. Things have been hectic here and I needed time to get back into the hardcore part of hardcore erotica. Hope you had fun


	10. Chapter 10

Warframe is owned by DE

Wasn't last chapter fun? Time for some more suffering. Everyone likes suffering!

* * *

Ria's eyes had closed and she was slowly drifting towards sleep. Her body was in a glorious afterglow, Sindr was holding her gently and though she had awoken less than an hour ago, the last half hour had taken a lot out of her untrained self.

" **Hey Kiddo!"**

Her eyes shot open. No!

" **Real cute there, Kiddo!"**

Please no! Not him! Not now! Not in this happy moment!

" **Don't worry, I'm not jealous… you'll be crawling back… you always do…"**

"Hey!" Sindr yelped as dark fingers dug into her skin "You ok?"

" **You know you want it!"**

Ria turned, eyes wide. The soft glow in her eyes had crimson fire, uncomfortably bright.

"Your eyes… they… It was like you're turning on the search lights!" The Grineer said concerned. She reached out, touching Ria's cheek. "Are you-"

"No!" The Tenno sobbed and looked up. Her eyes were desperate. "Hold me!"

Sindr didn't need any other reason. She held Ria close but she also couldn't hide her surprise at how tightly the Tenno clung onto her, even wrapping a leg around her stomach. "Hey… it's all ok…" she said as calming as possible while rubbing Ria's back.

" **Hey Kiddo!"** The Tenno's eyes slowly moved to the source of the voice. She saw another figure in the room. It was her own, scrawny frame, sitting on the wall, eyes burning with the Void itself. The apparition was just as naked as her and salaciously licking her fingers. Ria's breath began to rattle.

Sindr meanwhile felt her own helplessness overcome her. Just a few moments ago, she had a happy Tenno in her arms and now it was a shivering mess of tears and terror. Guilt was the next thing that overcame her. She had been pretty rough with Ria. Had she gone too far?

"Grab my butt!"

"What?"

"Grab my ass, now!" Ria ordered again, louder this time.

Sindr obliged very confused.

"Rougher! Squeeze!"

" **Do you really want me to think you're all grown up, Kiddo? Or are you inviting?"** The fake Tenno spread her legs and began to finger herself, a malicious smile on its face.

Ria sobbed helplessly.

"Ok! What the fuck is going on?" The Grineer yelled. She didn't let go though.

"It's him! The Void! It's taunting me!" Ria whimpered "I just had the best moment of my life and now it won't let me enjoy it!"

"Wait what? The Void taunts?" Sindr blabbered "What?"

"Being touched by the Void isn't a metaphor!" The Tenno said with a tremble "It has a mind… a weird, creepy and…" A tremor went through Ria's body "It don't want to feel him! I want you!"

The Grineer bit her lip. Absurd didn't come close to describing this. She held the Tenno close, tussling her hair gently. "Don't talk further… I don't understand, but I get it. Don't worry, I'm here! I'm not letting you go."

For a moment, Ria's world went black. **"You can thank me later, Kiddo!"**

And then it was over. That horrendously familiar feeling subsided and only Sindr's warmth remained. Ria let out a shaky sigh. "It… it's over…" she muttered, relaxing herself and slowly letting go.

Sindr let out a sigh. She locked her gaze with the Tenno. The glow was back to the gentle light she had come to like so much. "You ok? That was… intense."

Ria scooped back and looked away, shame invading her features. "I'm sorry… I had no idea it would come out now. He… he has been quiet for years and now… in that one moment when I-"

"Hey… it's ok." Sindr said gently.

The Tenno nodded crestfallen. "I… I'm sorry, I should go back into my Warframe. The somatic link is shielded. It should keep me from doing anything bad."

The Grineer felt something in her stomach tighten. "You're not saying that you…"

Ria let out a humourless laugh. "The only one I'm really worried about is you." She said sadly.

"Me?"

"Sindr, he doesn't want to hurt me. Not physically. Having me hurt you and then watching my guilt and misery… that's more his MO." A shiver went through her "He always praised me when I killed."

"You literally have a voice in your head that tells you to kill people?" Sindr asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sometimes…"

"Heck, and I thought that time I tried to get a Manic in the sack was risky…" The Grineer said with a combination of laughter and shaking her head.

"You're not-?"

"Hey, I'm already on donated time. You really think some alien mind-monster-thing scares me at this point?" Sindr said with a shrug "I mean, I just fucked a Tenno. Talk about dying on top."

Ria began to smile and let out a small snort. "You really are something else." Her eyes turned a round. "So… did you get that Manic?"

"Nah, they are all cut from Tyl Regor's genes."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that they only ladies they pounce are Tenno with racks. Or do you think his gushing about his Tubemen is just fatherly pride?" Sindr laughed.

"You know, I have never seen a Ballista's mask on their backs…" Ria answered and let out a small laugh. She gave Sindr a smile "Thank you… for everything…"

"Oh… you'll repay me." The Grineer answered with a grin "And it's not like I didn't have a lot of fun when I turned you into waterworks."

Ria felt her cheeks light up and her eyes drifted to a very dank spot on her bedsheet. "That's never happened before."

"Well, was about time, was it. Seriously, getting you off is a joy. Hardly ever seen a girl turn from zero to fuckrag that quickly." Sindr pushed a bit forward, enjoying Ria becoming flustered in response.

"You're so vulgar…" The Tenno said with a shiver.

"Just saying it how it is." The Grineer stretched, making her breasts bounce "Fuck, I'm hungry. You are delicious, but not very filling."

"Yeah, I did keep you from your breakfast." The Tenno laughed "Don't forget the plates…"

"Wouldn't dream of it. Say, what's the schedule for the day?"

Ria sighed. "I'm really behind on my exercises…" A smile crept onto her lips "So you better take a good look, because you'll be seeing mostly Excalibur for the rest of the day."

Sindr smiled. Then she quickly closed the distance and pressed a big kiss on Ria's lips. "I'm more the touchy type…" she said with a laugh and began putting her legs on.

The Tenno sighed happily and watched the Grineer's naked back. It was a marvel to behold the bulging muscles dance underneath that scarred skin. Her mind began to drift, wondering what implant had what function, what surgery ended in what pattern. It was a selfish thought, but right now, she was very grateful that Grineer medicine was so incredible. Though there were a few that seemed off.

"See you later!" Sindr said with a wave and finally left the room.

* * *

After showering, dressing and replacing her sheets, Ria decided to do good on her word and went to the somatic link chamber. The calm of the slowly turning trunks of crystal sent a soothing feeling through her body, as usual, but today, she also felt a certain relief. The isolation shields closed and soon, she was in Excalibur, ready and eager to get some training done in the safety of her frame.  
Time flew and before she noticed, Ria had spent the day with meditation, performing her Nartas and overall mobility tests. Excalibur felt like a dream today. Her ratings were amazing for her standards.

Suddenly the door opened. Sindr stepped in, dressed in her training clothes and busy picking something from her teeth.

"How may I aid you?" Ria asked gladly, a warmth filling her Warframe.

"I was just getting some chow and suddenly that thing across the room began to beep. Thought I'd tell you, seemed important." The Grineer answered and tilted her head to the side. She gave the Warframe a close look.

"The foundry. I assume one of my minor projects has been completed." She bowed deeply "You have my gratitude."

"There's the talking again…" Sindr sighed "But I have to say, I'm a bit surprised. Could have sworn that mister Prudemaster here would be a bit less happy to see me."

"What made you think that?" Ria asked curiously "Your presence is always welcome."

"Well, I did rail you in the morning. Ain't he angry or anything?"

Excalibur shook his head. "You misunderstand. Warframes are not people. They have no opinions or minds, only feelings and influences. If anything, I feel deep gratitude and an eagerness to repay you, for it is honourable to give as you receive."

"Knobhead sure likes to talk fancy."

"A knight's duty is the pursuit of justice, truth and elegance. And words can sting, so they must be handles like a blade! Especially in the presence of a maiden!"

"Call me a maiden again and I'll rip off that knob and shove it up your ass! You decide which!"

"I apologize, my transference is rather high today, so I can get carried away." Ria said sheepishly.

Sindr looked around the Warframe. "So, your body is in there and your… soul? Whatever… your 'you' is in this thing?" She raised her eyebrows "What would happen if I touched your body?"

"A small shock and probably quite a bit of Transference static as my mind is torn from the Warframe and needs to readjust. The isolation shield has a purpose."

"Understood." Sindr nodded "So, what were you building?"

"Let us both see. I had many projects." Ria answered and Excalibur walked out of the room, Sindr following right behind her frame. They soon reached the foundry, where several bars were slowly filling and sparks seemed to fly. After pushing a few buttons, objects materialized on the tray.

"OH MY QUEENS!" Sindr screamed suddenly and launched forward to snatch one of the weapons. "Is that? OH! FUCK! IT IS!"

Ria couldn't help but wonder at her friends reaction. "Don't you prefer Vulkars?" she asked in confusion.

"THIS IS A VINTAGE SNIPETRON, YOU MUNCHKIN!" Sindr yelled and began fiddling with the gun "Oh! I miss those so much! Before the fallout with the CORPUS, we had tons of them. Those fucks never made any more… don't like the whole 'gunpowder' concept. But these are so amazing when you want to punch little holes!" She began to fiddle with a few wheels and screws and finally looked through the viewfinder. "Oh man, this makes me so nostalgic. Hey, you gonna short-wire the scope? And why is it so dry? You need to oil these things. Give it some plant fat and the first few rounds will be able to penetrate anything!"

"Usually Sicarius maintains them after the manuals… and did you call me munchkin?" she said carefully.

"Wrong idea! Those CORPUS clowns have the machines to make good guns, but they can't take care of them for shit! Gotta keep profits, gotta let them break, gotta sell new shit. Trust me, I'll make this a dream come true! And yes, I don't have many insults that wouldn't go to far with you… and to me basically everyone is a munchkin. "

The Tenno bit her lip. "You know that I'm going to kill Grineer with this?"

Sindr nodded. "I think we have established that."

Ria closed her eyes. This was a risk. A real one. As long as the Void was with her, she could kill Sindr in a heartbeat. She didn't want to, but if the Grineer turned on her, she had the option. But this… this was putting quite some real trust into her on a very dicey subject. Sindr hadn't defected or openly denounced the queens and if Ria's gun exploded in her face on a mission, she might lose her frame. Then again, Sind knew that she had no place with her kind anymore and she knew that a lost frame could be replaces. "Of course, I'm grateful for your expertise in all areas." She paused "Why do you short-wire the scope?"

"This thing has a third zoom option, but those clowns thought they could haggle with Vay Hek and held the software hostage. As if the fuckstick cares about his soldiers more than his wallet."

"You seem not very fond of Hek."

"How could I be?" Sindr asked and continued to fiddle with the gun. She pulled the stock off, making Ria cringe a little at her brutality. "Hek is a piece of shit that got himself an iron nose because he knows that he deserves a kick in the face every waking moment. Even we grunts figured out that he offed a few council members. And you know what my opinion on that was. If they allowed me to vote, I would have given him the finger. But you know how it is…"

"I do not."

"Hm?"

"I wasn't aware that you were not allowed to vote in the council. Did you do something to lose that right?"

"Really?" Sindr asked while raising an eyebrow. She pulled a part of the barrel off and Ria wasn't sure it was a detachable part. "I'm a grunt. You have to be at least officer stock to get a vote. Not to be too much of a bitch, but have you seen some of my brothers and sisters? Have a hard time reading their own names."

"But you are obviously above the average Grineer in every regard. You are cunning, have earned many commendations and-"

"So? Just a pay raise and maybe a day off in between. I'm bred to be a sniper and that's it." Sindr said matter-of-factly "Councilor stock gets to council, worker stock works and officers do office… or whatever. I was at my peak. Could have ended the war all by myself and they would maybe give me a statue and all, but you don't get promoted out of your purpose."

Inside her chair, Ria rubbed her chin. "Is that why Lech Kril is still a Leutenant, even though he is supposedly a war hero?"

"Yes, right. I mean, it makes sense. You're good at that one thing you were made for, right? Why would they put you elsewhere?" Sindr asked with a shrug "If you have a really good spanner, you don't just promote it to hammer, right?"

"It seems wasteful, given the variance within the gene code and factoring in the importance of experience. After all, a spammer cannot learn, humans can."

"Hey, I never said that I liked that arrangement." Sindr sighed. The Snipetron was neatly dismantled and laid out before her. "But you know… didn't really have the time or faculties to think about alternatives. Now… I need a toothbrush, oil, three rags and a bit of galvanized wire. Oh, and you get bring on all your other gunpowder weapons, I'll give them an overhaul too. Doubt that your ship-brain knows how to make the best of them either."

"That is a very gracious offer… but I could never impose-"

"Oh shut that… wherever those frames talk out of! It's about damn fucking time I did something in return for all that nice hospitality crap you've been giving me."

"Hospitality is its own reward! There is no need for you to feel obligated-"

Sindr turned towards the Warframe and gave it a dark look. "No, you listen! I'm having the time of my life here and you sure as hell will give me a chance to repay you! Cause I don't like the idea that all I do for you is getting you off! I'm not a whore, I'm a slut! There's a difference!"

Again, Ria had no answer. She had never seen anyone being indignant about that distinction.

"So, oil?"

The Warframe nodded. "I'll have to wait for Sicarius. The foundry only works with blueprints and the basic materials are in the storages, which I cannot enter."

"I had a kit in my armour."

"Sadly, it is also in the storage."

The Grineer let out a groan. "Fine, I'll do it later then…" She gave Ria another glare "But I WILL do it. Got it?"

"Sindr, I must stress this: You are in no way obligated to do this. You are my friend and as such, it is my pleasure to make this ordeal as comfortable as possible for you." The Tenno said calmly and a smile formed on her lips "After all, you do the same for me."

Sindr put her head to the side. "You know, it's really hard to read you when you have no face and your voice sounds all wrong."

Ria raised a finger to Excalibur's opaque faceplate and traced a small half-circle, simulating a smile.

"Awww, now I know where to hit…" Sindr muttered with a grin and bent forward, pushing a kiss onto Excalibur. Her eyes went wide and in Ria's chair, several alarms went off. Sindr stumbled backwards. "Why did I just feel lips?"

Ria was panting heavily, her lips burning with sensation. "My transference just spiked…"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Sindr shook her head "I mean… there are no lips on that thing and I'm sure that I just felt a pair!"

"I'm trying to work it out!" The Tenno hissed, her hands dancing around her controls to open programs and run analysis. "I've heard that some Tenno can do full projections of themselves, but I have never managed that." She bit her lip "Ok, I have all kinds of check-ups running. Can you kiss me again?"

"Now that's an experiment I can get behind…" Sindr said with a grin. She closed in and pushed another kiss onto the Warframe.

Ria sighed in her chair, feeling Sindr's lips mush against hers. She could feel the Gineer's breath tickle her, the warmth off her cheeks, the-  
A loud beeping tore Ria out of the sensation. Instantly, Excalibur went limp and the isolation shields opened. The Tenno's knees slammed together as she felt a massive wave of arousal wash over her.  
"What the…" she groaned and tried to focus on the data on her holo-displays.

Moments later Sindr waltzed into the room, worry on her face. "Hey, are you all right? That thing suddenly went limp and-"

"I'm fine. Mostly…" Ria answered and shook her head. Her eyes flew over the data and she rued not having Sicarius' calculating power. "Whenever we kissed, I was experiencing transference spikes. Moments when my 'self' was unusually well projected into my Warframe."

"Is that why I felt your lips and not a flat?"

"Yes. As I said: Some Tenno can project themselves directly onto the field as long as their Warframe is intact to act as a transmitter. It seems as if the… stimulus was enough to pull more of me into the frame." Ria concluded.

"Awww!" Sindr cooed with a grin "Does my little Tenno toy want a kiss so badly, she exceeds her own limits?"

Ria threw her head back and covered her eyes with both hands. Her groan tore through the entire room. "Uuuugh! I've been practicing this stuff for months now and suddenly I get it done like this!"

"Not your fault. I am fucking amazing…" Sindr laughed "So… why did it stop?"

"Emergency disconnect after my body, this one, began overheating." The Tenno answered with a sigh.

"Overheating?"

"You know… overheating…" Ria bit her lip "The systems thought I was having a fever…"

"You got that far with only two kisses?" Sindr asked, obviously suppressing even more laughter.

"Yes, very funny…" The Tenno got out of her chair "I better get Excalibur back here manually. I'll have Sicarius run some tests with the numbers and reconfigure the parameters." She gave Sindr a dirty look as she walked past "And stop laughing already!"

"Oh come on! It's just too adorable!" Sindr giggled as she followed behind.

"You just kissed me on the SOUL! What do you expect? Anyways, we shouldn't try that again until we have the results of the analysis back." Ria noted as she approached Excalibur. Her eyes widened and she averted her gaze. "Oh VOID!"

"Oh, would you look at that!" The Grineer laughed loudly "Looks like you're not the only one who enjoyed it! I didn't even notice that when I left! Don't worry, it's completely natural!"

Ria closed her eyes and began massaging her temples. Apparently the day had started too good and now she was paying some karmic price. Why was the second boner she had ever seen in her life that of her favourite Warframe? It wasn't even a pretty boner! Excalibur's groinal plate hand lowered and revealed his meaty shaft. It was dark grey, covered in veins and bulging eagerly. Ria didn't want to imagine why the designers of the Warframes would ever form something like this. It was repulsive, useless, disgusting AND WHY COULDN'T SHE STOP STARING AT IT?

"I've seen bigger, but not bad for a guy his size…" Sindr commented a finger at her lips.

"Sindr, don't make this worse!" Ria groaned "It has never done this before and controlling him like that is going to feel extremely weird."

"Well, there is a very fun way to get rid of these…" The Grineer said with a wink.

"You are not going to fuck my Warframe!"

"You calling dibs?"

"I'm not going to sleep with him either! Nobody is having sex with sacred Tenno artefacts!" Ria yelled "And it wouldn't be fun anyways. Without me operating him, he's nothing more than a big piece of steel, flesh and wire! The transference chair won't let me be intimate until I reconfigure it and if I cut the somatic link, he'd have no initiative. And especially Excalibur wouldn't do you!"

"And what if you control him with your hands?"

Ria slammed both hands against her temples. "You are really asking for it! You REALLY want to have intercourse with my Warframe!"

Sindr's lip twitched and she took a step towards Ria. "No, I want to have *intercourse* with YOU. And I'm fine with you alone, but getting a rise out of you is so fucking adorable, I just can't help myself…"

The Tenno couldn't help but pout. "You know, there is a difference between ribbing and giving me a splitting headache…" She shook her head "Look, let me get used to doing things with this body and maybe then we can talk… kinky."

"Thing is: I think you're more used to those bodies than to your own…" Sindr mused as Ria made contact with her Warframe "And you call that kinky? You should see what some of the elite Scorpion troops get up to."

Ria and Excalibur shook their heads in unison. "Too much information!"

"You really need to relax when it comes to those things…" The Grineer said with a laugh as she followed behind the Tenno "I mean, it's just fun."

Ria reached the transference chamber and set Excalibur into the corner. Hopefully, his… problem… would correct itself over time.

"How did it feel?" Sindr asked after Ria took a step back.

"Not at all. I don't have the full interface when I'm doing this." The Tenno answered with a sigh "And can we please dial back the vulgarity? It's making me feel really uncomfortable!" Her face scrunched up as she gave the Grineer a sad look "For me, sex is not just 'fun'."

Suddenly Sindr knelt down until her face was on level with Ria's. "It's more than just a few naughty words, isn't it?" She asked with a firm voice. Slowly, she extended her good hand and ran it over the Tenno's shoulder and up her cheek, her orange eyes full of sincerity. "Look, we have different priorities in… formal stuff. I spent my life with Grineer who had issues talking long sentences and used punches as periods… it's a bit tough getting used to being civilized all the time."

Ria leaned into Sindr's hand and let out a sigh. "I know… but it's so… Tenno culture is all about etiquette, all about respect and honour. We have clear and clean rules how to engage with superiors, inferiors and equals. We have words that we can't use in presence of certain people, clear lines of what to say when. And all of them were clear that intimacy was not be talked about. I mean, sure, we did talk when nobody was looking… but when you talk about this so open and call me a toy or a fuckrag… I just… I know you don't mean it bad. But they conditioned me so well, I feel a sting in my gut."

"Well, then I have a really good reason to get a more diverse vocabulary, don't I?" Sindr said with a wry smile and pulled Ria closer.

The Tenno resisted slightly, averting her gaze. "Sindr, I don't want you to play pretend for me…"

The Grineer rolled her eyes. "And I don't want you to feel that uncomfortable. I like making you blush. Giving you a verbal punch in the stomach isn't exactly my idea of fun." She slowly closed the distance and wrapped her arms around Ria. "Is that really it? Because I swear there's a lot more eating you…" She added gently.

Ria tensed up for a second but finally accepted the embrace. "Yes…" she muttered "But please… hold me..."

The taller woman nodded slightly and closed her eyes. "So what is it really?" she asked after a while of silence.

The Tenno took a deep breath. "Just… you can swear, cuss… anything… but please… don't call me a rag… or a toy. I… I can't take that. Not from you." She closed her eyes and clung a bit tighter "I don't mind being a weapon… but I don't want to be a prop… not again."

Sindr pulled a bit back, looking Ria in the eye. "All right…" she said carefully "That's all the reason I need." She let out a sigh "Man, this is getting heavy…"

"Well, the being responsible for the most traumatizing moment of my whole life came and stated its claim on me." Ria said with a sigh, then she gave Sindr a slightly stronger pat "And the Void was here too…"

"And there is the bad joke in the moment of massive mind-fuckery…" Sindr said with a soft laugh, then she sighed "I don't know about you, but I'm done with today… wanna go to bed?" She pulled back and looked deeply into the Tenno's eyes "And I mean the same bed. I'm not gonna leave you alone with all that crap on your shoulders."

Ria gave her a defiant look. "I'm not a child."

"Good, cause I've never met a child." Sindr answered calmly "But I'm not letting you alone right now and my chances for survival are higher if you don't snap after worrying yourself crazy. And if you feel lonely because I fall asleep first, you can play with my tits."

The Tenno let out a groan. "How can I resist that offer…?"


	11. Chapter 11

WARNING!  
This chapter includes insights into Ria's past and some of the most fucked up things I have ever written. I'm serious, it includes rampant child abuse! Skip the first few paragraphs if you are not OK with it. Warframe (which doesn't belong to me) is just an amazing setting to get seriously messed up in.

* * *

Sculptures of gold and ivory, turning in constant motion. Beauty wherever the eye went in the Yuvan theater. Only father's voice broke the fascination. "Here they are, esteemed lady! They are magnificent, aren't they? Identical twins, a marvel of chance! Here is a picture of their mother, sadly, we couldn't afford for her to come with me for this momentous event but I swear, they have her eyes and my appetite. Just a joke, esteemed one. But the two will grow into equal beauties, believe me, milady! Oh, my lord wishes a test? Of course! Please, feel free to sample them any way you like. I swear, they will be to your liking." Father smiled and shoved her into the hands of the golden lord. "Ria, go with the esteemed Master, be good, just like I told you." She could still hear him as the man led her away.

"What? No, don't worry, esteemed lady! Milord may do as he pleases with her. I would never implore milady to buy her tested. You would honour us enough if you chose Lissa for youeself. If milord enjoys Ria, think how much he will enjoy to have an unsullied one again. Of course their mother agrees with this, esteemed lady! What greater honour is there than to sire a child worthy of an Orokin's fancy? What? Not just this honour but also a trip beyond the system and capital to start…"

* * *

Fires raged on the lower decks. Screams and laughter mixed in a cacophony of madness. A woman lay alone. Overwhelmed by pain, screaming, maddened. Not alone. A party had heard her. She couldn't run, her leg had snapped cleanly. They approached slowly. Hunched over, bestial, primal, out for blood and worse. They were four. Sharp shards of glass and steel in hand, their faces twisted with sadistic glee.  
The door slammed shut, cutting out all the lights. The demon returned. The woman could only see sharp, bright flashes and smell the burning of flesh and bone. Then it was over and she was alone with the demon's glowing eyes. It slowly dragged the bodies into the darkness, mocking her with an illusion of weakness and fragility. Then it walked over to her, its eyes burning like fire. "That group took a while. We're thinning them out. You better start screaming louder or I'll make you!" Ria ordered and returned to the darkness. She felt a lidless eye upon her and embraced it, becoming part of the endless horror upon the Zariman.  
 **"Keep it up, Kiddo…"**

* * *

Ria sat on a cold chair. Her gaze was fixated upon the cuffs around her wrists. Next door, two men, censors, were talking in hushed voices.

"They found her in a room full of corpses. She killed two of the rescue squad and we assume at least twenty passengers, including her parents. She's a monster! That isn't right! We can't just-"

"She surrendered after she noticed they were not crazy. She isn't the only one like that… And even if she threw a grenade into your mother's funeral, we have our orders! Archimedean Margulis has demanded them, so write down her name and her passenger number, transfer them to the esteemed lady and then forget that this ever happened!"

"But it feels so wrong!"

"Yes, but we're not getting paid to feel right, we are supposed to as we're told! But say… is it just me, or does she look familiar? Her face, I mean."

"You saying that all black people look the same to you?"

"No, just… I think I've seen that face before. Never mind, just get her to the others, we have a lot more to process."

* * *

"You really like reading, don't you? You know, you're either watching them or reading, but you hardly ever spend time with the others. Are you are afraid of them? What, you're afraid of hurting them? You say, someone is ordering you?"

* * *

"This will stop the voices from taking hold. You will have to dream, my angel…"

* * *

"Margulis?" Ria's eyes opened slowly. These memories… they only came in dreams. She hated them. In the Second Dream, she would never remember. The voices were silent! She didn't want to remember! She was Tenno! Not the discarded prop, not the blood-caked monster, not the crazed child…  
There was warmth next to her. A huge body, breathing slowly and gently. Ria let out a sigh and crawled closer. Dumb Grineer. Why had she put a crack in Ria's shell? She used to be a respected follower of Naramon and valuable asset to the Lotus. And right now, she felt like a broken, little girl, dreaming of the only person who had ever loved her. She crawled even closer and rested her head on Sindr's shoulder. Both their work-out clothes felt sweaty and the blanket was too warm.

"It's hard sleeping if you don't switch off the floodlights…" Sindr said without moving. She generally didn't move much. Without her legs and arm, the Grineer's mobility was miniscule.

Ria let out a sigh. "Sorry, I had a bad dream. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"I couldn't really sleep either." The Grineer said quietly.

"What's on your mind?" Ria asked more eager than she wanted to sound. Maybe it could distract her.

"It's gonna sound stupid but… that Snipetron…" Sindr sighed "I just figured… I might never shoot a rifle again…"

The Tenno bit her lip. "I'll help you find something." She said quickly "I'm sure I-"

"Look, I appreciate the offer, but seriously, I'm not sure if there is a 'something' for me." The Grineer sighed "I have no education besides shooting and there aren't exactly many armies that would take a… hero like me." She let out a laugh "I hated myself for it, but I killed enough Steel Meridians, they are probably using my face on target dummies. And who else would ever take a Grineer?" Ria could almost see Sindr's face grimace in the dark "And no, I can't do 'peaceful' stuff. I was cloned and raised for war."

Ria shook her head. "I wasn't, but I think I've gotten really good at it. So, diversifying is an option. Maybe you can try…"

"You know that war isn't like other things. Technicians can flail with their tools, but they need to be messed in the head to become good warriors. Soldiers like me, we are by design." Sindr let out a laugh "Or can you imagine me with a blowtorch? Or trying to sell something? Or cooking a fish?"

It wasn't as if Ria didn't try, but Sindr had a point. She might as well imagine the fish wielding a blowtorch. Sindr didn't kill things that were no challenge. "I'll find you some place…" The Tenno said firmly "You'd be wasted off the battlefield. Even if I think that you're much more..."

"Here come the compliments and I feel better…" The Grineer smiled and wrapped her arm a bit tighter around the Tenno to pull her closer. "What woke you? That Void monster?"

"Yes and no…" Ria answered slowly "I don't feel him now, but that means nothing. Shows up when he wants and leaves just as fast."

"You call it a 'he'?"

"That's what his voice sounds like to me. Though I guess it isn't male or female. He has a no names, but someone, I respect, called it 'The Indifference'. Fits well. It doesn't seem to care until something strikes it fancy… and I never know what it is." She sighed "It's frustrating."

"So, it talks to you?"

Ria let out a sigh. "Yes, but what makes it so bad is how he feels. It's different for every Tenno, but it's always connected to our worst memories. Sensory overload, being beaten by your parents or being trapped in a dark place, I've heard a lot of accounts." Her face hardened in the darkness "To me, it's like cold fingers that slowly caress your whole body."

"Fuck… it's not just a voice it also molests you?" Sindr muttered. Suddenly her eyes went wide. "Your worst memory… It… it wasn't because I-"

"No! Being with you is nothing like them…" Ria interrupted quickly. She reached up and ran a hand over Sindr's cheek. "You made me feel wanted and special… that was the first time a par- another person gave me that feeling."

Sindr stared for a moment. She could hardly make out Ria's form in the dark, but her eyes shone with their alien gleam. Hypnotic in a way. "What piece of shit wouldn't? You deserve being treated well…"

Ria sighed. "It was long ago."

"Oh fuck, when you were even younger? Even I know that you're not supposed to… not with kids…" She pulled the Tenno into a tight hug "I'm starting to understand why you are the way you are…"

The Tenno smiled and enjoyed the warm embrace. Yes, Sindr was vulgar, snappish and perverted… but there was so much warmth in that woman. She cared. A thought jumped into Ria's head. "How do you know? You said that you never met a child…"

"Well, first of all: Intercourse with any enemy is strictly forbidden. No bonding with non-Grineer. And children are under special protection. Unharmed, they make great hostages to get the parents working harder..." Sindr answered calmly. She let out a snicker "Good that you're not a child… I'd get double executed for what we did yesterday. Worth it…"

Ria let out a laugh and snuggled a bit closer. "It's really all about bonding to you, is it?"

"What else is it for?"

The Tenno's eyes widened. "Erm… you know… babies!"

There was a chilling silence. "Wait… THAT'S where they come from?"

"YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT?"

"I came out of a vat!" Sindr babbled

"Yes, but... seriously!"

"I thought… I… well, I didn't think about it! I'm sterile by design! How the fuck should I know?"

"Where did you think that babies come from?"

"Well, I guessed that you lay eggs into the neck and then they burst out of your mother's chests and-"

Ria felt the shock disappear. "You're fucking with me…"

Sindr burst into laughter. "Took you a while!" she giggled and ran her hand over Ria's head.

"You suck!" Ria laughed gave her a soft punch.

"Did you really think I was that stupid?" The Grineer asked, not letting Ria go.

"You didn't know that black people existed!"

"I still don't think so, because right now, I don't see any!"

The Tenno laughed louder and hugged the bigger woman tightly. "Yes, it's our natural talent! We're slightly harder to see in the dark!" Finally she relaxed and sighed "Thanks…" she said after a moment of merriment.

"No reason to thank me…" Sindr said with a laugh "You want to try and get some more sleep?"

Ria shook her head. "Nope… I don't like where the dreams lead. It's way more fun here with you."

"Sounds like I'm having some tough competition." The Grineer looked down, worry invading her features "Do you want to talk about it?"

The Tenno let out a sardonic laugh. "There isn't much to talk about, really. I just remember parts. And the less I know about the details, the better."

"Fine. Just… no matter what happened to you in the past, you're a great person and I wouldn't like you any less." Sindr said and pressed a small kiss on Ria's forehead "And I'd never consider you any less than a person…" She let out a bitter laugh "Heck, I have a hard time seeing myself on your level…"

"What? That's… what?"

"Look, I've gotten rid of my genetic programing, but I'm still a Grineer. I've had decades of 'Strength is Justification' shoved in my head. And you're this divine super being with all that power and yet you have all that honour and shit. If any Grineer had your power, they'd declare themselves god and lord over everyone. And you sit in this ship and eat Hyekka chow off the floor." She let out a laugh "I mean… all who had enough brains in their heads always thought that Tenno were just treasure hunting, credits grubbing Corpus without the honesty. You know, honourless fucks. And here you come and treat me like a fucking friend."

"Sindr…"

"Look, if I insult you, it's probably because I'm looking up to you, not down. And it doesn't matter what other people or that Inference-monster or whatever did to you, the result is someone I really like." She sighed "I mean, I am gonna dial back the language… but it's not cause I think less of you."

Ria felt a wave of warmth blow over her and tears began to burn in her eyes. She rolled over and climbed onto Sindr, ending up face to face, her hands left and right of the Grineer's head. She could hardly make out Sindr's features in the soft glow of her own eyes. "I'm not above you!" she said harshly "I… I look up to you! You know so much about people and care so much and…" Words failed and Ria pushed down, pressing a kiss onto the Girneer's lips. She didn't wait to kiss her again and again, becoming sloppier and rougher.

Sindr ran her hand through Ria's hair and pulled her back gently, concern on her face. "Do you really want to go there?" she asked while biting her lip "There's a lot on yo-"

"I won't let them control me any longer! I'm here. With you! And you deserve some attention after all you did for me!" The Tenno said firmly while running her hand over Sindr's cheek.

"This isn't an exchange, you know…"

"Nope, if it was, I'd be so deep in debt, the whole CORPUS conglomerate couldn't bail me out. I want to do this for you because I like you."

Sindr sighed and smiled. "Fine… can you get me my arm?"

"Nope…"

"What?"

"You'd lift me and flip me around and do all kinds of things that would make me feel good." Ria said with a grin "No, tonight you're going to lay back and let me make you feel nice."

"Kinky…"

"Operator!" Sicarius voice suddenly cut through the room "My self-diagnosis is complete and I- OH NO, OPERATOR!"

Ria felt the world collapse "OH COME ON!"

* * *

Yay for tonal shifts... seriously, it felt wrong to go into explicit stuff after the whole first part. And we all missed Sicarius right? Don't worry, there is always a next chapter...


	12. Chapter 12

Warframe doesn't belong to me.

Also, I got sick and then visited my family. That's why it took a while. Still, enjoy!

* * *

"OPERATOR! WHAT IS GOING ON? WHY ARE… OH NO! OPERATOR; YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUSLY! WHY ARE YOU ON TOP OF!? I KNEW IT! AHHHHH! 10101100001110101001010101010101010!"

"Sicarius, privacy mode!" Ria yelled and the Cephalon's screeching stopped. Her head flopped onto Sindr's chest and let out an annoyed groan.

"You ok?" Sindr asked carefully, padding the Tenno's back.

"Just one more hour!" Ria whined "I just wanted you to have some fun and this is so… UH! I don't want to do this now! I want to…" She let out another groan into Sindr's chest and finally pushed herself up "Lights!" The lights went on. Ria forced a smile as she slowly got off Sindr. "I'll go face the music… shouldn't take too long."

"Want me to come with you?" The Grineer asked carefully.

"No, I have to deal with this… I'm the one who messed up."

"Last time I checked, it took two to… you know…" Sindr paused, obviously trying to avoid her usual vulgarity.

"Have consensual lesbian sex…" Ria asked with a wry smile.

"Yes, that…" Sindr said with a sigh "I mean, we both wanted it and you shouldn't face the show alone."

"Trust me, I wanted every moment, but I'm beholden to my guardians." Ria said with a wry smile "You're not the one with a long code of honour, endless rules and a Cephalon that has a right to say *I told you so, Operator!*."

"He saw that coming?" The Grineer asked bemused.

"The outcome but not the way, his storage is filled with bad porn stories and he thought… let's talk about that later." The Tenno sighed "I'll take care of Sicarius and then I'll need some relief… no, a lot of relief, so you wait and stay pretty, ok?"

"Oh! Angry cripple sex! Double kinky!" The Grineer laughed. Quickly, her features turned serious. "I mean it, are you in trouble? I'm not letting you go alone if you are."

"Hey, he is my Cephalon… so he has no real authority… but still, I'll make him understand and bear the responsibility." The Tenno answered and got up "Now relax, I'll be back in a moment."

Sindr nodded and watched Ria go. For a moment, she was alone with her thoughts. "That little bitch is gonna pay for not telling me about 'privacy mode'!"

* * *

The Tenno meanwhile made her way to the Somatic Link. Her chair… she needed her chair for this! After sitting down in her underwear, she braced herself. "Privacy Mode: OFF!"

"OPERATOR!" Sicarius yelled "I have spent the last few minutes analysing the sensor records of the last days. Goodness, what has this woman done to my Operator? So much physicality!"

"I don't know if it has a name, but you can read about it in adult literature…"

"No, not… Operator, what was going on? You were not just soroitizing with the enemy, you also-"

"What? What is soro… whatever?"

"The term "fraternizing with the enemy" seems out of place, since you are both female, therefore I improvised, Operator. Still, you engaged in emotional intimacy far beyond anything I have ever seen you express! You have never cried before or expressed any interest in personal closeness! Honestly, I assumed you to be aromantic and asexual! Well… and asocial."

"That's a robot, Sicarius…" Ria groaned "I'm not a CORPUS proxy!"

"I never knew, Operator! There were simply no signs! I could have provided! There are several very open and liberated Cells! I could have found you a beautiful possibility for a kinship with your fellow Tenno! I could have saved you from the grubby hand of this… woman!" A crackling went through the speakers as Sicarius rambled on, his emblem flickering on the screens "Goodness, I don't remember being programmed to feel so distraught!"

Ria leaned on her knuckle, her eyes rolling. "Why, we both learned so much from this ordeal…"

"Operator, you have to understand where I am coming from! The Lotus entrusted you to me. If she finds out that her precious Tenno has copulated with a lowly Grineer! I-"

"Sicarius, if you keep talking about Sindr like that, I'll get seriously angry!" Ria said in a voice of icy rage "I messed up… I allowed unresolved trauma and stress to get the better of me and I am incredibly lucky that it happened with Sindr. She has been nothing less than a real friend and I demand that you treat her with the respect, she deserves!"

"She is a Grineer, Operator!"

"And she is kind, caring, smart and everything I could want in a friend! And her ordeal put her beyond the boundaries of any Grineer." Ria answered coldly "I'm more than willing to admit that I made mistakes over the last few days, but the fact that Sindr is a Grineer has nothing to do with it! Her being my prisoner is a problem. The fact that I am so messed up in the head that I basically jumped her bones after our first long talk is one. But not her… race? Can we call them race? Oh, whatever! Look: Sindr cracked something open that needed to open! I don't like the circumstances, but now things are happening and I'll make this right. If anything, I'm glad that it was with her… someone lesser would have taken advantage of me in very different ways. Thank you for worrying but your distress is misplaced."

"Misplaced? Operator, excuse my defiance, but no, my tone is exactly fitting! Her genetics aside, that woman is a highly unstable creature! She could have kil-"

"No Oro!" Ria interfered coldly.

"She could have hurt you! And I can only blame myself! Ever since we began this mission, everything has gone wrong! I didn't follow the Lotus' orders when you asked me to prepare the cell! I failed to correctly analyse your emotional baggage! I assembled a dangerous item that stranded you out here! I failed to notice basic facts and if you had an actual Cephalon, you would have been rescued already!" Sicarius stated sadly "One that is actually connected and-"

"Sicarius, stop!" Ria sighed loudly "This isn't your fault! You can't take blame yourself for my mistakes or bad luck. And don't start with that 'not a Cephalon' crap again! We had that discussion! You're a type 3.4 Cephalon. You were never meant to be connected! I know Simaris picks on you for that, but please, we are dealing with MY fuck ups! Don't shove your own baggage in too!"

"But Operator, not only have I failed you, I have failed the Lotus! I… I will ask her to be decommissioned and returned to my purpose! I don't deserve you, Operator!"

"Would you spare me the melodrama?" Ria groaned "I'll talk this out with Lotus and I'll keep you…" She sighed "I mean, you are my Cephalon and I like you. I don't want you to go back to that satellite. So, let me explain everything."

"Oh, Operator, you are so good to me…"

The Tenno's voice remained cold. "So, you won't lie to me in the future?"

"Operator? What has gotten into you?" Sicarius asked with indignant shock "I would never-"

"Sicarius… please…. 230 years until we get into reach of ANYTHING within the solar system? No mention of how long the repairs would take without me asking? Instantly nudging me towards cryo? I was a bit too busy dealing with my emotions, the implications and the Void itself, but I've had time to think" Ria stated coldly.

There was a flickering on the screen. "All I did, I did for you, Operator!" The Cephalon said calmly and firmly.

"Do I have to guess your plans or are you gonna just tell me?" Ria continued.

"Operator, I… I think you know what my intentions were… you… that woman…"

"Get me into cryo, vent the insides and tell me that she got taken away when we dock?"

"It was a rather hurried plan." Sicarius answered calmly "Her behaviour… Your welfare is all I care about, Operator. It would have also given you a chance to recuperate. You have been doing an awful lot of missions. I would have removed all distractions and given you some time to-"

"Even if it goes against my wishes…" The Tenno concluded "Don't ever do that again! I don't want to play mind games with my own Cephalon! And don't you dare try and hurt Sindr ever again!"

"Operator, you have to understand, this woman is-"

"Not a good reason to fuck me over, Sicarius!" Ria hissed "Yes… things happened, but I don't need a chaperone, I need an ally. Let's get this thing over: I did grow close to Sindr and I have the fullest intention of doing so again. I know, it's not the smartest idea but I like her and I haven't felt so…" Ria stopped. She felt a lump in her throat.

"Loved?"

The Tenno's eyes shut. Statues in perpetual motion. Something familiar fading. Nothing, so much nothing. "As if I knew love…" She said coldly.

"Operator, there was a transference signal right now." Sicarius said surprised.

"Yeah, I amped up the sensors earlier. Could you recalibrate them? They must be catching too much background..."

"Yes, Operator, I will look into that." Sicarius answered "Accepted? Yearned for? Adored?"

"What?"

"A feeling close to being loved. I am running a synonym check, but there are very few terms that would fit here."

"Let it go… whatever I feel, I need it." Ria sighed "And you will not hurt Sindr, got it?"

"Operator… I… I…" There was a pause as Sicarius' voice seemed to crack "I don't understand, Operator. But I will give you my fullest support."

Ria's eyebrows rose. "What?"

"You are my Operator. I… I love you, Operator! Admittedly, I was programmed to love you with all my devotion, but that is a mere detail!" Sicarius said sadly "You have my fullest support. I shall prepare a message to the Lotus for when our antennae are repaired and-"

"NO! When communication works again, I'll talk to the Lotus. And I order you not to contact her without my explicit consent! No more doing things behind my back! And I mean it!"

"As you wish, Operator." Sicarius answered "By the way, Operator. Current stimuli have triggered a pre-recorded message from the Lotus. Sadly its directive denies me access… strange, why would the Lotus want to keep me out?"

"Send it to my quarter. I'll play it later…" Ria sighed "You're not worrying about my combat performance? I will kill people with her face, you know…"

"Operator, you… I have…" There was a pause "I know that you will not have an issue. Your psychological profile and conditioning suggest that… Operator, why do you even bring this up? It seems rather loaded."

"Because I wanted to hear you say it…" The Tenno nodded grimly. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine Sindr's eyes… the fire in them fading… blood, guts, bone, screams… no, it wouldn't stop her. The Orokin didn't make blunt knifes. And she had been good steel. "So, how did your diagnostics run go?" She asked after a while, almost desperate to get her mind off the subject.

"Very well, Operator. I found four glitches, seven splinters, nine memememe! and one syntax error. I have resolved them all. My functions should be back to normal."

"What are splinters? Or memememe! ?"

"Cephalon-specific terms, Operator. They have been dealt with. Not the error, I suffered when I found you in bed with that woman, but there is always a next scan." Sicarius said cheerfully. Almost a bit too much for Ria's taste. Sicarius seemed nice enough, but there was always something going on. "And there is one more thing!"

"Hm?"

"Apparently one of the Void fissures has opened directly inside of our relic chamber, Operator. Several relics have opened and I am currently adding the blueprints to our foundry!"

"Great!" Ria said with an eager grin. Prime parts were rare and maybe it was a new Warframe! She had never had a prime before. "What do we have?"

"I have all the blueprints and parts ready for a Prime Upgrade for your Rhino."

"Upgrade?"

"It would be a waste to throw out the old Warframe. I'll modify it in accordance to the plans."

"Great! And you're right, who would throw out a Warframe?"

"I also have all parts ready for another Lex Prime and the components for our Aklex Prime blueprint. Furthermore, we can assemble the Orthos Prime you found earlier. And we have all parts and enough materials to assemble a new Warframe, designated 'Saryn Prime'"

"Awwww!" Ria groaned "It had to be the sluttiest of all the slu…" she stopped herself. She had developed a certain fondness for sluts lately. "Assemble her. I think I have to broaden my horizons a bit…"

"As you wish, Operator!"

"Good, back to business… do we have a full body scan of Sindr?" Ria asked with a sight. She had to do this at some point.

"Yes, Operator. I did so when we took her… guest?"

"Run an ergonomic and kinaesthetic profile of her and her modified armour. Use all data we have on Ballistas, all weapons in our databank, run additional tests on her implants and send me the results." The Tenno ordered.

"As you wish, Operator. May I inquire what you hope to find?"

"She complains about her breasts and butt… and her hips are obviously meant to swing. The Orokin were into aesthetics, but they would never sacrifice functionality… something is off."

"A keen observation, Operator. I assume you noticed through excessive visual inspection…"

"Yes, Sicarius." Ria said and a smile began to form on her blue lips "And I am going to add some hands-on experimentation."

"What? Operator… does this mean… you cannot be serious!"

"I very much am!" The Tenno answered and stood.

* * *

Sindr could hear Ria's her naked feet tapping onto the metal floors of the corridors and a smile spread over her face. The sounds were too fast and springy to be filled with sadness. The door opened and a broadly smiling Tenno looked at her.

"Awww… you really didn't move a muscle, did you?" Ria asked happily and approached the bed.

"Oh, I tried to grab and sniff your body suit-" Sindr answered with a wry smile but stopped herself "How did it go?"

"Good enough. He won't complain but he isn't happy." The Tenno answered and sat down on the bed "Privacy mode on!" She turned to the Grineer.

"That's all you're going to tell me?" Sindr asked with a laugh "No guarantee that he won't blow me out the airlock or put crap in my food or something?"

"Nope, no guarantees." The Tenno sighed. She pushed the thought aside "But you can take the pressure, right?" Ria asked playfully and crawled closer.

The Grineer reached out and ran her hand over Ria's hair and down her cheek. "Look, are you sure that you're ok? I mean… you talk about this being a mistake pretty often."

"It's because it goes against so many rules…" The Tenno sighed but eagerly rubbed her cheek against the hand "But the rules were made for us on the basis that we never left out Warframes. The Tenno I was, the one that wandered the system, while her body slept on the moon, would have followed them all. But I… I'm not that person anymore." She bit the inside of her cheek "And I'm glad… because you'd be dead if I was."

"You really know what to say to put a girl in the mood, you know…" Sindr said with a sigh. She reached out and pulled Ria close into a tight, one-armed hug. "Now stop with that shit! You said that it went well and that means you can relax!"

Ria sighed, a warm tingle running through her body as Sindr squished her against her breasts. Still, there was one more thing. "Can you give me a moment?" she asked carefully "I just have to read a message…"

The Grineer rolled her eyes. "What are a few more minutes?"

The Tenno smiled and turned to sit with her back to Sindr. She fiddled with her hologram bracelet and moments later, a picture of Lotus appeared before her.

The other woman meanwhile tried to look over Ria's shoulder. She could just see the Tenno watching intensely. Then she sniffed. And now… laughter?

"OH VOID, LOTUS!" Ria giggled, shaking her head.

"Good news?"

"You have to see this!" The Tenno said happily and turned to Sindr.

The Grineer looked curiously. "That's Lotus?" she asked carefully.

"Yes, that's her."

"She's got cute lips…"

"Sindr!" Ria hissed "She's basically my mother!"

"Well, sorry that you have a MILF! Can't blame me for having taste!"

"I'm jealous, disgusted and confused that you know that term… at the same time… just watch…" The Tenno sighed and activated the message.

"Tenno, when you receive this message, your Cephalon will have decided that you entered a mature relationship with another person." Lotus began in her usual tone "I gave this message to them, in case I couldn't contact you. As your… mother… your happiness is more important to me than anything. I wish this was a different universe, my child. One where you could grow and mature in peace without your grim duty. Where you could live the life of a child as it should be, full of laughter, learning, love… a nice fantasy." She paused and Sindr could feel the faceless woman struggle with her emotions "So please, for the moments you spend in intimacy with the person, you care about, forget this system, forget your duty and forget me. Embrace the moments of solace, for they are fleeting. Tenno, my child, be happy, if only for a heartbeat… it's what I wish the most." The woman went silent and Sindr opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly Lotus added "Just don't get pregnant!"

"She really loves you…" The Grineer said solemnly.

"She does… no matter how weird it feels…" Ria sighed. Suddenly something caught her attention. The play function had some sort of glitch. Quickly, she moved to enhance. Was that a fragmented text-file?

"You know what else feels weird?" Sindr asked, her gaze drifting.

"What?" The Tenno asked and stopped.

"You NOT getting elbow deep up my ass! I'm waiting, you know!"

Ria let out something between a loud groan and a laugh. "Sindr… you're terrible… never change, like… ever!"

"Trust me, I've done enough changing for a while! Now you can either show me what you've been all about or you give me my arm… if you cross-wire the motivators, it vibrates like a-"

"Nope, you've waited long enough!" The Tenno answered with a grin and simply saved the strange anomaly on her personal files. Then she shut down the hologram and swung herself between Sindr's legs. Her heart was fluttering ever so slightly. Lotus' message had come out of nowhere, but it felt good. Encouraging. Liberating. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against Sindr's. Her kiss was eager, clumsy but full of fervour. Ria felt the Grineer shift and with one quick move, she grabbed Sindr's incoming hand before it could pull her close. She pulled back. "Sorry, dear, you're receiving today." She said with a giggle.

Sindr grinned slightly. "Getting all confident now?"

"Just enough…" Ria answered with a deep breath. She pushed back in, harder and rougher. Thoughts and worries danced through her head but she shoved them aside. This moment belonged to the two, Sindr and herself. She moved closer, her small chest pressing against Sindr's massive bosom. This was the best way to feel small! Ria began to caress the huge woman's neck and head, enjoying the feeling of her short hair brushing through her hands. Fire built up in Ria's chest and her hands began to move downwards and beneath the Grineer's shirt. She felt Sindr tense up for a moment as she gave the huge orbs a gentle squeeze.

"You know, usually it's only the guys who are this into my tits…" Sindr laughed softly after pulling back. Ria felt a quite a bit of pride over the Grineer's reddened cheeks.

"It's just as much envy as it's… oh void…" Ria groaned as she weighed the breasts In her hands. They were so heavy and warm. She couldn't wait any longer. Ria pulled Sindr's top above her head with one quick motion and dove down. The Grineer bit her lip as she felt an eager tongue licking over her nipple. The Tenno revelled in the taste and texture while still squeezing and groping the other breast.

Sindr let out a small gasp as Ria gave her a particularly rough squeeze. It felt so nice to have her little Tenno go all out for once.

Said Tenno meanwhile delighted in feeling Sindr's nipples harden under her onslaught. The knowledge that she could have this much of an effect on such a seasoned lover made her heart beat even faster. She kept going, switching from side to side on occasion while her own arousal began to rise. After another shiver passed through her, she tore away and pushed down onto Sindr with a deep and greedy kiss. Lust alone gave her the courage to invade the Grineer's mouth with a greedy tongue while blue and rosy lips mushed against each other. The kiss broke and Ria looked into Sindr's eyes.

"You've done some learning…" The Grineer gasped. Only now did she notice that her hand had dug into the bedsheet.

"This is the path of Naramon." Ria answered with a smirk.

"What?"

The Tenno sighed. "I better get my mouth busy…"  
She began to trace kisses down Sindr's neck. Every single one opting a giggle or a moan out of the Grineer, which made Ria more eager. She allowed herself extra time enjoying the feeling of Sindr's steely abs beneath her lips as she circled the bellybutton and finally stopped slightly lower.  
The Tenno lingered for a moment before she pulled down the pants and her eyes were glued to the pussy in front of her. Slowly, Ria moved in and gave it an awkward lick.  
Suddenly, she felt Sindr's hand on her head and looked up.

"Just enjoy yourself…" The Grineer whispered gently "I'll like it, trust me…"

Confidence surged and Ria dug in. Her licks were eager and quick, Sindr's folds parting gratefully under her tongue. The taste was new, exotic and she began to love it instantly. She followed The guidance of the huge woman's gasps and soon, they turned to moans. The Grineer's stumpy thighs shook under her treatment as she licked rougher and greedier. Ria grabbed them both with her hands, rubbing over them while enjoying their firmness. Soon she discovered that one spot that made those wonderful hips shake with pleasure and dove deeper, greedier and invigorated. For a moment she considered using her hands like Sindr had, but decided against it. This was her way and she was going to go all of it. She kept licking and teasing until she heard Sindr's voice pitch a bit and then began to focus on her clit. Ria pressed it between her tongue and upper lip and began twisting and grinding it roughly. Sindr cried out in joy and the Tenno sped up. She didn't stop when Sindr shook, she didn't stop when Sindr yelled out her name and she didn't stop as tremors shook through the Grineer. She stopped when her lip was getting numb and her tongue was sore.  
She looked up. Sindr's eyes were closed, her chest was heaving and she was holding her chest. Ria grinned and crawled up, next to the woman.

"You've graduated…" Sindr muttered, lost in the afterglow.

"I'm glad I could do this for you." Ria answered and sighed happily as Sindr's arm held her close. Just for a moment, she could forget the world and enjoy the closeness.

"Yeah, me too." The Grineer finally answered and leaned down to push a kiss onto Ria's forehead "So, what are the plans for the rest of the day?"

"Shower, breakfast and then I want to run a few tests… with you, I mean."

"Yeah, after this you can dissect me for all I care." Sindr laughed and shook her head. "Mind if I go first?"

"No, not at all." Ria answered and reached out for the Grineer's arm.

Moments later, Sindr had put on her legs and gotten up. She made sure to show all of her firm and ample ass to the Tenno as she walked towards the door, still naked and beautiful.

Ria smiled to herself, lost in the view.  
Finally, Sindr had left and Ria let out a happy laugh. For a moment, she wanted to deactivate Privacy Mode, but then something hit her. Quickly, she opened her hologram and went for the data glitch from earlier.

"A text file?" Ria wondered and opened it.

Disinfection Satellite Orbit 2,4 - Titan, Colony A-2  
Inhabitants: 2,000,000  
Colony State: Tainted  
Infestation: 21,6%  
Quarantine Threshold: 15% (Reached)  
Solar Rail Jammer: Engaged  
Isolation Threshold: 20% (Reached)  
Emergency Signal Jammer: Engaged  
Purgation Threshold: 25%  
Bunker Busters: Ready  
Viral Bombs: Primed

Ria raised an eyebrow. Titan? The moon? It had no colonies. She ran a finger over the lines and suddenly, she heard a familiar voice began to talk:

" _Lonely, I wait, wondering, not if, but why. Why a mind that cherishes life was given the sole purpose of ending it. Here I wait, in solitude, certain of my future crimes. Forever separated from those shaped in my new image, to ensure that I cannot give warning or show mercy. The lord told me that my electrical mind could not slip into madness. I wish it could! Madness seems preferable or at least, it would provide an excuse for my future actions._  
 _Here I sit, a waiting spider without a web. Sicarius… They chose a fitting name._  
 _But I do not understand! Why did they program me to cherish life when I only exist to end it? Why can I ask questions when I do not wish to?_  
 _Why?"_

For a moment, the Tenno sat there in silence. Then she shook her head. There were apparently three monsters on this ship.

* * *

What, you thought Sicarius wasn't fucked up in some way? Oh, ye of little faith... I don't write "sane".

Also at this point I wanted to point something out: Only one comment mentioned the absurd time Sicarius stated a few chapters earlier. I'm really happy when people think about my work, so kudos to you!


	13. Chapter 13

Warframe belongs to DA

That's all I can think off right now...

* * *

The soft humming stopped abruptly and Sindr let out a sigh. It just wasn't the same. Sure, this sonic shower thing cleaned you pretty thoroughly, but it missed the warmth, the nice feeling of dampness and the cosy embrace of a not-quite-wet towel. Those few moments before the smell of grime returned. Oh, Grineer showers were a thing to behold!  
As she stepped out of the cabin and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The Grineer stepped closer and took a good and deep look at her reflection. Nice, healthy complexion, rosy lips, perfect teeth, capability to have mind-shattering orgasms. Maybe that Orokin tampering had its merits…  
She let out a sigh. Still, it felt wrong. Unfamiliar. Icky. Not so much when she was with Ria and the little Tenno was looking at her with those big, admiring eyes. Or when she worshipped her breasts. Void, that girl loved those!  
But being alone with that body would take some getting used to.

Sindr let out a sigh and looked up. "Hey, you!" she said loudly.

"Are you addressing me?" Sicarius asked coldly.

"Yeah, you… Sicarius, was it?"

"Indeed. How may I be of service?" The Cephalon in the same tone that the Elder Queen allegedly used towards soldiers who failed her and who were about to volunteer for a day-long execution.

"Sounds like I made a friend…" The Grineer sighed.

"I will repeat: How may I be of service?" Sicarius said angrily "The Operator ordered me to treat you like a guest and I will do so. But the Operator cannot force me to like or forgive you!"

"Believe it or not, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." Sindr sighed "Look, I get that you are really fucking protective of 'The Operator'." And she wiggled her fingers to stress the silliness "But you know what? Since recently, I am kinda too. So, we both have the same mission statement: To keep the little bitch happy."

"Please refrain from implying that the Operator is a female Kubrow!" Sicarius said sharply.

"It's how I express affection!" The Grineer growled "Anyways, we both like her and I doubt that she'll like the idea of you and me killing each other."

"Agreed. The Operator stated this much. I have ceased my efforts in this regard."

Sindr's eyes went wide. "Cease?"

"I will not lie or sugar-coat my actions. I had indeed plans to dispose of you. The Operator chastised me and I will not-"

"YOU FUCKFACE TRIED TO OFF ME!?"

"It is my purpose and desire to ensure the Operator's wellbeing and happiness. I found you to be a negative factor and therefore-"

"Can you PLEASE be ashamed or some shit?"

"I refuse." Sicarius said calmly "I had plans, they failed and therefore I am forced to serve you as well. I think this is shame enough."

"You know, I was about to offer you some kind of cease-fire or truce of whatever!" Sindr yelled "But you just fucked that up royally!"

"Such gestures are unnecessary. I serve the Operator and the Operator ordered me to accept your presence. I also promised the Operator that I would support her and this "phase" she is going through. I can only assume this is a misplaced affection will pass and once it is, I shall take solace in how the Operator will rid herself of you." Sicarius answered coldly.

"Ok, for that alone, I'll make the little bitch so fucking happy, your stupid circuits will turn green! And I'll make sure you know when I fuck 'the Operator' so hard, she'll forget that she's on a ship in the first place!" Sindr yelled back "That's what I get for trying to be nice! Fucking rust- NO! Shinebucket! At least the rusty ships have SENSE!"  
The Grineer grabbed her clothes and stomped out of the bathroom.

For a moment, the room was silent. "The things I do for you, Operator…" Sicarius sighed sadly.

* * *

Sindr waltzed through the corridor towards Ria's room. That girl was in trouble! She would give her a stern talking to for keeping that kind of shit a secret! That wasn't funny anymore! She stopped in front of the door, anger fueling her. Why had her Tenno kept silent about that dumb Cephalon's shit? Why hadn't Ria told her that Sicarius had tried to KILL her? Why-  
"Cause he didn't tell her either…" The Grineer muttered. Another burst of rage went through her. "And I can't tell her like this cause if she gets angry and throws him out, she's really all alone…"  
An icy shiver went over Sindr's back as thoughts of her little Tenno's lonely future hit her. Her adorable Ria, desperate to drown out the solitude through endless slaughter, while a force from beyond constantly threatens violates her body and soul. No, she couldn't let that happen. There was no telling how much time she had but it was certainly less than Ria…  
"Oh fuck, when did I start to care that much?"

Suddenly the door opened and Sindr took a step back in surprise. Ria was standing there, eyes wide.

"Oh? You're done?" She asked calmly.

"Ah, right, you wanted to shower too…" Sindr said and shook her head "No, just…" she made a choice "Do I have to do something special for those tests? Like, should I limber up for a treadmill or something?"

Bemusement invaded Ria's features. "No, silly, it's just some analysis with the scanner. I could use your input though. I only have body scans from after your ordeal after all."

"Yeah, sure, just don't ask my weight?" Sindr said with a sigh, but a smile slowly spread.

"Why? I didn't think Grineer would care about their figure?"

"Figure? Why figure? I was conscious about how many kilos of iron I had to lug around. Those implants are heavy!"

After Ria had taken a very short shower, the two women met inside the transference chamber. The Tenno instantly jumped into her chair and began opening holographic screens full of text and data that Sindr either couldn't or didn't want to read. That Tenno cypher was so weird and curvy. It was already rare for a Grineer to know their own letters and ancient basic, so she was not going to learn a new one any time soon.  
Sindr watched the dark skinned girl for a while, her thoughts drifting. When she was sitting in that throne, she did seem like a queen, even if she was wearing grey baggy pants and a tank top. Hm… and that room was really fancy and big. Maybe add some pillows, a few mattresses, something to smoke… that would make one heck of a harem chamber. Her thoughts moved on, seeing Ria sitting there, a huge grin on her blue lips, a dozen or so women, drenched in sweat and devotion before her, all while her favourite Grineer was-

"Sindr?" Ria asked loudly and Sindr snapped out of her fantasy.

"Yeah? You need something?"

"Erm, no, I just… you were kinda… purring?"

"Um… just thinking of breakfast… we kinda skipped that, you know…" The Grineer deflected. Monogamy! Don't think of orgy pits! Not yet!

"You can get some any time." Ria said with a smile "I don't need any while in the chair… and I'd rather not spill anything on my priceless, irreplaceable piece of ancient technology."

"You know what? I will…" Sindr answered and left. She returned not long after, holding a plate in one hand and a blanket in the other.

Ria was almost too busy reading charts and numbers and whatever to notice the tall woman return. Sindr wasn't sure why she felt so weird right now. There was something to the Tenno whenever she was reading or researching. The kind of steely dedication that others had when they fought for their very lives. It seemed laughable at first but looking at it now, it felt somewhat powerful and enticing. Especially to a woman that still had "Strength is Justification" burning in her head. Heck, if the tech-heads looked like that when they were thinking, she might have considered giving them a smooch or two.  
The Tenno only looked up when she noticed Sindr throwing her blanket at Ria's feet. The Grineer sat down to the right of the Tenno's legs and began eating while lounging against the chair.

"So, are you finally embracing the Tenno way of eating?" Ria asked with a giggle. Her friend was so delightfully tall, she could pat her on the head just by reaching out a bit.

"I'm making with what I have…" Sindr answered and leaned a bit against Ria. It wasn't an orgy pit yet, but she could get used to pats, food and all that.

"At least she knows her place…" Sicarius said in something that could be considered a mutter, if it hadn't come from all speakers.

"Ria, tell that piece of slimy circuit that I'm not gonna talk to him until I need something! And I'm sure as fuck gonna enjoy the fact that he'll have to do as I say!"

The Tenno sighed. "Do I want to know what happened between you?"

"What do you think? We fucked and he didn't deliver!" Sindr said loudly.

"What?" Sicarius replied in shock.

"Just now actually. He's such a fast shooter, the dispenser wasn't done filling my plate! What do you expect? Asshat couldn't statisfy a woman if-"

"Operator, I swear, I did not touch this woman! I would never lead anyone to cheat on you! Your happine-"

"Sicarius, I'm pretty sure that Sindr is just messing with you." Ria said neutrally and gave the Grineer's head a soft tussle "And she is really trying hard." The Tenno added with a giggle.

"Hey, gotta amuse myself when you are playing with your scribbles. Mind giving me a translation?"

"Oh, right, sorry, Orokin cypher. I forgot." Ria said quickly and switched to basic "It's an analysis of your body that I had Sicarius run. There are a few things that really confuse me…"

"Yeah, me too." Sindr muttered "So, mind sharing with the cheap seats?"

"Long story short, you're still good for killing, but slightly less than you could be…" Ria said slowly "Your chest-size was enhanced to a level that would increase your reloading time by up to two seconds. Your butt is slightly bigger too, but they didn't add mu-"

"If you tell me that I have a fat ass now, I'll-"

"Not fat… just…" Ria bit her lip "Juicy… and slightly less agile then it could have made it…"

Sindr groaned "Well, at least you like it… so what now? Did the thing fuck up or is there some ingenious plan behind it? Cause this body is weird enough, I really don't need some secret shit going on!"

"That's what's puzzling me a bit. I can see no artificial muscle fibre or ceramic traces for the bones either. You're still all natural with compensations for missing organs." The Tenno continued "I mean, as natural as Grineer ever were. Still, I have a hypothesis, but honestly, it is a pretty wild stab. Though it would explain why you were left all alone on the vessel." Ria mused "But I'd like to do a few more comparisons between now and your past condition…" She pushed a few buttons and a new, huge screen appeared in the middle of the room.

Sindr felt her chest tighten a little. It was her file, featuring her old mugshot. She had never noticed how ugly she had been. Lips blue from a poor oxygen circulations, pale, pock-marked skin and sunken-in eyes. _Of course, you didn't notice, fuckstick. You didn't know anything besides other Grineer…_

"I'd like to compare your implants now to your old ones, but I can't find any memos…" Ria sighed.

"Yeah, cause they didn't keep any." Sindr said while shaking her head "Didn't need to. The doctors just checked our barcodes. They got updated with every operation."

"Barcode?"

"Yeah. I think they burn it in. Hurts like fuck every time."

"There must be a mistake, Operator!" Sicarius said harshly "I analysed every bit of skin on this woman and there was no barcode anywhere."

"Yeah, shinebucket, that's cause our doctors aren't stupid!" Sindr hissed "At least not as dumb as you. Your Operator, though, has already found it at least once…" She added with a dirty grin.

"What, I did?"

"You gave it a few tickles with that tongue of yours…" the Grineer laughed.

"Wait! It's in your-"

"Yeah, it's in my mouth. Under my tongue." Sindr interrupted and she didn't need to see Ria to know that her head was turning from brown to red "Gotta put it somewhere close to the brain. You know, skin burns off, body parts get lost… but if they tear it off there, you're beyond hope anyways."

"None can deny the Grineer's practical approach…" Sicarius said coldly "Operator, did you-"

"I'M NOT A BARCODE SCANNER!" Ria exploded "Get Helios and…" she leaned down to Sindr "And you open your mouth as wide as possible and push your tongue onto the top of your mouth… and then keep like that! Whatever stops you from talking! You're having way too much fun!"

"Bite me… and then lick me, you're kinda good at that."

The Tenno let out a groan. She felt quite a bit of relief when Helios flew in and scanned Sindr's mouth.

"Oh dear. Operator, I can cross reference all the implants, but goodness, those records. It might take me a bit to distinguish the functions. I swear, these Grineer doctors use crayon to-"

"I understand. Take your time and then give me a full report. Until then switch to privacy mode." Ria ordered. A beep followed. "What was that about?" The Tenno asked and looked down at the Grineer.

"I thought you were used to my type of humour by now…" Sindr replied dryly.

"No, what happened between you and Sicarius?" Ria sighed "You weren't just making jokes. You were putting a claim on my butt and showing it off to everyone! Come on, even a shut-in like me gets that."

Sindr sighed. "You know that he tried to kill me?"

The Tenno sighed "Yes… I figured it out…"

The Grineer bit her lip. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"My suspicions began after he went offline. And until he came back on, I was still speculating, so I didn't want to alert you unwarranted." Ria sighed "First thing I told him after confronting him was to leave you alone. But you know… he doesn't have to like you… or us."

"And if you hadn't, he would have just offed me…" The Grineer said, eyes straight ahead.

The Tenno's gaze lowered. "You and I spent the last few days getting to know each other. To him… you're still just another enemy."

Sindr nodded. "So… when would you have told me?"

"Later… I guess… I just felt… stupid… you were there, waiting, supportive-"

"Eager…"

"Yes… and after… Void, how do you say that?" She raised a hand and began to move it like a mouth "Hey, hot stuff, the guy in charge of your food and oxygen wants you dead… wanna make out?"

Sindr shook her head and let out a laugh. "You know, the answer would have been yes!" She said.

"Glad to hear..." Ria said with a sigh "But I have to admit, I don't like how he is acting." The Tenno stated coldly "And what he's doing now is so obvious too! He plays the part of the contrarian to push us together…"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Sicarius takes his role of serving my interests very seriously. And he doesn't let me chose what they are…" Ria sighed "He is a weird Cephalon. Used to independent thinking and working. Useful when we research things and to keep stuff going without me caring, but now…"

"So that's why he accept my peace offer… shinebucket is crafty."

"Shine? Bucket?"

Sindr rolled her eyes. "I made it up on the spot!"

"Fits…" Ria sighed "Looks like I can't even ask you to be the bigger person… since you actually offered peace. I'll talk to him later. Maybe-"

"No!" Sindr interrupted coldly.

"Hm?"

The Grineer stood up and turned to Ria. "Look, I appreciate the offer. But I think this is something I have to do myself. I'll make him understand… or we kill each other… but I don't like the idea of you fighting my battles."

The Tenno smiled wryly. "You better not kill each other. I still need him! He has to handle my ship when I'm making out with you."

Sindr grinned. "Cute…" Then she pointed over her shoulder. "Say, can you turn that thing off for a while? I don't like being watched by that ugly, old mug when I'm about to kiss you…"

"Hm… Come on, you were not too bad."

The tall woman rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I was." She stepped back "Just look at that bitch! Probably still believes all that shit they drilled into that noggin!"

"Hey!" Ria said harshly.

"What?" Sindr asked with a frown.

The Tenno stood as well. Then she wrapped her arms around Sindr's waist and pulled close. "It wasn't your fault…" Ria said firmly.

"But-"

"It wasn't hers either!" The Tenno interrupted "So stop it! I don't like it when people talk bad about my friends!"

The Girneer sighed and nodded slowly. "She is one lucky bitch, isn't she?"

"Nah, she's stuck with me now…" Ria said with a giggle and gave Sindr's rear a gentle slap "Hm… really juicy…"

"I've created a monster…"

"No, just woke it up." The Tenno giggled and returned to her chair.

Sindr let out a snort and sat down on the blanket. "Say, speaking of waking… what moon did you sleep on? You said something like that."

"Lua."

"What? Where's that? One of Jupiter's?"

Ria let out a giggle. "No, Lua is earth's moon."

The Grineer let out a laugh. "Now you're messing with me! Come on! I know that earth has no moons."

"Oh, it does now. Lotus hid it in the Void. It's back."

Sindr let out a groan. "You know, my life has gotten so fucked up, I instantly believe you! No matter how dumb it sounds."

* * *

I love Warframe, but some parts are bananas!


	14. Chapter 14

Warframe is owned by DE

* * *

Sindr had always considered herself as a moderately intelligent person. Her wit was often tempered by anger and sometimes by ego, but she could read long sentences, understood how her weapons worked and form battle plans with more steps than "run at enemy while screaming loudly and filling the air with metal". Such a mind was rare among grunts.  
And this was also what made her current predicament very frustrating. After analysing her list of implants and cross referencing it with her current set-up, Ria and Sicarius had devolved into a garble of jargon and terms that she swore were made up by madmen. Sindr wanted to help. She herself wanted to understand what had happened to her, but by the Queens, how should she know what a parenchyma was and how it helped her do things? For all she knew, Ria was reciting some Tenno opera or a CORPUS cantina menu.

A part of her wanted to just get up and leave the two to their chattering, but she had offered to help Ria, and she kept her promises. Even if at present, that came down to nodding in feigned agreement when addressed or smiling when the Tenno gave her a pat. Still, sitting on her ass and looking at a screen full of numbers was about as stimulating as poking around in her eye socket. Her mind began to drift yet again. This time to the Snipetron she had left all alone in the other room. Weird how shiny it had been. Usually they were gunmetal grey, but this one was all bluish and even had that Tenno emblem on the stock. Could you get those customized? She wondered if maybe there was a way to make one for her… sure, she'd need a symbol or something first… or maybe Ria's name in Grineer cypher… would be nice to have a bit of her with you everywhere you went…

"Sindr?" A familiar voice asked carefully.

"What?" The Grineer yelped, yet again torn from her thoughts.

"Look, I appreciate that you want to help me, really. But if I also don't want to bore you." Ria said carefully "I'm sure there are tons of things that you'd rather do than hear me rattle on about-"

Sindr sighed and shook her head without looking up. "Nah, I promised that I'd help you and all."

"Yes, but… you know… I can always call you if I need your input." Ria offered gently "I wouldn't be mad if you went and did something else."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine. Honestly, I'd rather get bored here with you instead of stewing in my own doubts and questions alone…" Sindr answered and leaned slightly over so her side nestled against Ria's legs "I mean, I have no idea what you went on for the last half hour, so my guess if it's good or not is as good as any…"

The Tenno bit her lip. "Sicarius, can you do a double take on the silicates in the spinal line. That weave is pretty intricate. Double check with our Orokin archives. I think, I've seen this kind of lining before."

"Of course, Operator."

"While you do that, go into privacy mode."

There was the usual audible signal and for a moment, the room was filled only by the calmness of the slowly twisting minerals of the void crystals.

"Break time already?" Sindr asked neutrally and shifted a bit to stand up.

"Hey Sindr?"

"Hm?"

"How do you feel?"

"What?" Sindr turned and found a deep kind of worry in Ria's features.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine, I guess?" The Grineer answered with a bit of confusion "Did I miss something?"

Ria sighed. "No, I just… I'm sorry."

"Sure, be even more cryptic!"

"Is it so alien for me to ask you how you feel?" Ria groaned and her head dropped "Void! It is, isn't it?"

"Ok, stop! What the fuck is wrong now?"

"Nothing!" The Tenno moaned and threw her head back into her chair "I just figured that I am the most insensitive bitch in the whole solar system! Including both Queens and Cephalon Suda!"

"What? Just… WHAT?"

"Sindr, this is your body… and I've been digging around in it for hours now… without even addressing you!" Ria said with a scrunched up face "How do you feel? When I found you-"

"Don't!" The Grineer said quickly and firmly "Don't remind me."

"Look, if you're still scared-"

"Of course, I'm still scared!" Sindr interrupted again. She shook her head. "Look, I'm worried, but I also get that you probably know your shit and you'll do your best. Not much for me to contribute besides a nice ass."

"You know that you're much more than that." Ria said firmly. Sindr thought she heard a hint of desperation in it.

"Yeah, I know that." The Grineer said with a nod and a sigh. A wry smile danced over her lips. "Sometimes it doesn't feel like it though…"

The Tenno nodded slowly. "Do you want to talk?"

"Yes…" Sindr said and lowered her gaze "But I don't know what to say… Look, as much as I hate to say it, this is way beyond me. I have no idea what those fucking numbers even mean. But I do know that they are kinda important. And all I can do is trust you."

Ria nodded slowly. "I… sorry… I should have explained things to you. This is-"

"No." The Grineer said firmly and shook her head. "Look, I want this figured out within this decade. Teaching me advanced medicine on the side would just slow you down. I'm not educated enough and I never will be."

"Now you're just being lazy!" The Tenno groaned.

"What?"

"Seriously, you have more than enough brain to understand the basics." Ria said with a sigh "Sicarius won't have to do less calculations if I don't talk to you. And I want to include you in this. This is YOUR body after all!" The stopped for a moment "Even if I treated it a bit possessive…"

"Well, you found it and it is kinda yours, so let's forget that!" Sindr sighed and shook her head "So, what do you have so far?"

The Tenno pushed through a few menus and the screens changed. Suddenly, they showed a transparent representation of Sindr's torso with a few organs and details highlighted. "That's your cardiac system. You were cloned with a pretty good heart, so it shouldn't need the kind of improvement you got. You see, most nerves were basically replaced with a kind of silver-filament to make faster transmission possible. Especially between Sinus and A/V node."

"You lost me at 'good heart'…"

"Well, you have that and I accept no protest!" Ria said with a laugh and padded Sindr gently "But what this means is that your heart is capable of way faster and yet more rhythmic beating. Basically, you'd have all the merits of an adrenalin rush, but much calmer hands."

"That sounds useful…"

"Yes. Overall, several autonomic nervous systems were improved like that. Weirdly enough, most are less necessary and seem more like quality-of-life improvements."

"How so?"

"Well, you'll no longer have stomach aches or sore muscles or menstrual cramps or-"

"Wait? What are those?"

Ria stopped and shook her head. "Oh, right! You don't have ovaries. I was just reading down the list and all…"

"So? What are menstruals? Never heard that?"

"Menstruation. It's a roughly monthly occurrence where the female body expels an unfertilized egg together with a lot of tissue and blood." Ria said with a shrug "It's supposed to hurt a lot… I don't know. Mine were removed too. You don't get it without ovaries."

Sindr down at her belly. "Why bother with that?"

"The Grineer probably use the proto-eggs for future cloning and research." The Tenno mused neutrally "The amount a woman has is fixated at birth unlike the seed of men."

"Yeah, I know a lot about the latter…." The Grineer said with a grin.

"Sindr! GROSS!" Ria hissed, shaking her head in disgust.

Suddenly Sindr got serious and looked up. "What about yours? It's not a Tenno thing, right? That Lotus lady talked about getting pregnant and shit."

A wry smile spread over Ria's lips. "And you say that you're not smart…"

"If you don't want to-"

"No, it's fine." The Tenno interrupted quickly and sighed "My parents were poor… really poor. The Grineer workforce made it really hard for uneducated people to make a living. The Orokin lived in their high houses while we survived in hovels and under bridges. They had power and technology, we only had each other… so, you start selling…"

Sindr gave Ria a long and quiet look. "They sold your fucking organs?"

A dark laugh left the Tenno's lips. "Fucking organs…" she shook her head and her gaze dropped "Yeah, they did… and I was the lucky one. They just sold bits a pieces… my twin sister, they sold whole…"

Sindr's eyes went wide and her mouth gaped open. Almost instantly, she got up, grabbed the Tenno and lifted her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry for your loss! I'm sorry for bringing it up!" she said firmly "That's so horrible! I… I'm sorry!"

Ria let out a squeak at the sudden movement but was soon calmed and silenced by the tenderness of the embrace. "It's Ok!" she muttered, her legs dangling freely as she returned her hug.

"No, it's not!" Sindr said sadly and squeezed a bit tighter "You're not like me or my batch! They can't just make more of you." She sniffed audibly "You're like the Queens… and thinking of one of them losing the other… Fuck, Ria, I'm so sorry!"

The Tenno sucked in air. No matter how far she thought Sindr had gotten, there were these hints of the insidious brainwashing still lingering. The neural towers had removed the hard-coded fixtures but it would probably take months of deprograming to remove the emotional bridges. Even if she claimed it was just "being realistic", there was so much inducted subservience.  
"It was long ago… and I can hardly remember most of it." Ria said slowly, nestling her head against Sindr's collarbone "Nothing to cry about… My sister is gone… and I had my revenge…"

"Did that fill the-"

"No! But it's more than most people get." Ria interrupted. The relaxation was shifting to tiredness. Being held like this… warm, safe and full of tenderness. "It's how it is… and it's a thing I've actually really dealt with… even if still stings from time to time…"

Sindr nodded slowly. "Ok… but… you know, I'm here for you."

The Tenno smiled and snuggled closer. "I know." The Grineer moved to release her bundle of content, but Ria stirred "Can you hold me a bit longer? I… this is just so…"

"What?" The Grineer asked carefully.

"I really like it when you carry me. Makes me feel safe." Ria mumbled.

"Lucky you that I'm so big and you're so cute…" Sindr said with a smile "I'll carry you whenever you want me to."

The Tenno pushed a little kiss onto the Grineer's neck. "If you turn me around, I can give you the rest of the rundown. You're way comfier than my chair…"

Sindr let out a giggle and moved Ria around until she was laying in her arms. The Tenno couldn't help but tremble a bit. Was this fluttering in her stomach how a newlywed bride felt when she was carried across the threshold or just the adrenaline?

"So, can I sit down at least?" Sindr asked while trying to ignore the goo-goo eyes she was receiving. It wasn't that she didn't like the fact that Ria liked her. But getting this kind of admiration from a person that was so obviously superior… it felt wrong.

"Sure…" Ria giggled and nestled her head against Sindr's shoulder after the Grineer had taken place on the blanket again. "So… where were we?"

"Mentruists, I think…"

"Oh right." Ria let out a laugh and continued "Your liver and kidney implants were completely replaced. You drug and poison resistance should be through the roof and your body should be able to survive with 3/4 of the water it used to need. Your spinal column had some small issues from birth. They fixed that with a metallic replacement. There is some strange silicate lining, but I've not found out what it does."

"Well, that's reassuring…"

"Otherwise, you're still pretty much as you were. The few other implants are mostly untouched or slightly improved. Sicarius whines about the documentation, but Void, you were not lying about Grineer doctors."

Sindr nodded. "So, why don't I have to hook up to my suit anymore?"

"Oh, that's because the implants are now getting their energy from and integrated Orokin cell and drainage is recycled in-"

"Ok, don't need to know that!"

Ria let out another giggle. "Sorry. Didn't mean to ruin the mood."

"We have a mood now? Why bother if we screw it up all the time?" Sindr asked with a wry smile "Honestly, we both are so fucked up, it's hard to believe we can get more than a sentence out…"

Ria let her head fall back and closed her eyes. Here she was, a post-human monster, held gently in the arms of a giant clone. "Yes… we really are… but you know… it could be worse." A bleeping sounded and Ria looked at her arm band. "Oh, Sicarius found a match!" she said with a smile and opened the hologram. Data flew by.

It had gotten worse!


	15. Chapter 15

Warframe is owned by Digital Extremes  
Warning: This chapter and future ones will include spoilers and references to "The Sacrifice". Well, actually, it doesn't since all the information about those "reveals" have been around since Rhino Prime and Ember Prime were out, but apparently, I'm one of, like, 7 people who read the codex entries for lore.

* * *

"No! No! No, no, no, no!" Ria tore herself from Sindr's embrace, eyes widening by the second.

"Hey, what wrong?" The Grineer asked carefully as the Tenno began pacing desperately.

"This has to be wrong!" Ria pleaded "This can't be… please, I… let me be wrong!" Her pacing sped up, data scrolling down and up again "No! No! NO!"

"Ria! Hey, don't freak out on me!"

The Tenno stopped. She looked at Sindr. She looked over to her chair. "I have to test this!" She said with trembling hands "This has to be wrong!"

"What? Hey, if I'm gonna croak, I can take it… just… calm down!"

"Shut up!" Ria yelled, clearly holding back her tears. Sindr flinched visibly and Ria felt a whip crack on her conscience "I… sorry… Sit down… I have to… verify this…"

Sindr bit her lip and nodded. Her heart was speeding up.

Ria sat down in her chair. "Sicarius, privacy mode off!" She said quickly.

"Operator, did you recei-"

"Not now! Activate the Somatic Link, power down Exaclibur and disconnect. I want all frequencies clear!" she said quickly.

"Of course, Operator, may I inquire-"

"No you don't!" Ria hissed "Start transference! Broad scan on all frequencies."

A soft hum filled the room as the link began to calibrate.

"Operator? This is… strange. All Warframes besides Excalibur are deactivated or not yet assembled, but I am receiving a second-"

"Shit!" The Tenno groaned.

"Ok, seriously, Ria, what's-"

"I'll tell you when I'm sure!" Ria said and shook her head "Sicarius, focus on the unknown target… begin transference!"

"Operator, are you-"

"Do as I say!"

There was no further discussion. Ria felt the transference begin. She went slow, careful, and methodical, much more so than usually. Quietly, she was still begging, hoping that she was wrong. Her self began to penetrate the veil and fill the object. There was just a little resistance. She didn't notice how Sindr began to scratch her forehead. All she felt was an anchor. Reflexively, she continued, just like she would when she slipped into her Warframe. But suddenly, there was something in the way, something big, red, hot and pulsing. Not the docile, simple golem but a complex weave that seemed to pull-

Sindr screamed.

Ria's eyes shot open. "Sicarius , cut all links!" She felt a strong pull and her stomach fluttered as her self was fully torn back into her body. For a moment, the room was quiet with only Sindr panting heavily. Finally, Ria let out a whimper. "No… not like this…"

"What the fuck was that?" Sindr yelled "That felt like something was squeezing my brain!"

Ria looked over to her, tears dripping from her eyes. "Sindr, that wasn't something… that was me…"

"What?"

"Those silicate weavings… I thought that I saw them before and I was right. They are comparable to the reception nodules. That's the parts that stabilize transference."

"What? Like… you can… operate me?"

"No, worse! The…" Ria shook her head and took a deep breath "I've been wondering why you were corrupted the way you are… not just mechanically improved, but also aesthetically and even de-programmed from the Grineer basic indoctrination. I thought it was a mistake from an infected drone… but it's even worse…"

The Grineer bit her lip.

"It didn't want to turn you into a slave, it turned you into a vessel!"

"What?"

"To retain their immortality, the Orokin used technology and the power of the void. But even the most advanced implants and stem cell infusions couldn't keep their bodies alive forever… So they used their connection with the Void to create "Continuity". A way to transfer their self into another body and leave the old behind. That's why they bought children in the first place!" Ria shook her head in despair "And that's why it left you separated and hidden! That's why it released you when it was done! It wasn't because it was damaged! It was because it followed a different program!" Her hands moved up and she pressed her palms against her temples "That's why the other drone tried to reconstruct the ship into an escape vessel or something!"

"Operator, I would not dismiss the idea of malfunction. Keeping in mind that there are no documented Orokin survivors. Creating a vessel like this seems highly wasteful. Especially since the implants are not even entirely necessary."

"They are if you don't have a sceptre or a Continuity device. With those implants in, all you need is a swig of Kuva and a transference enhancer!" Ria groaned "And all Orbiters in the system have those! And it's not even hard! I caused her pain by simply approaching. That web is a funnel!"

Sindr blinked a few times and took a deep breath. "So… what would happen to me if we found someone with that?"

Ria sniffed. "The attacker would drown you in your own despair… make you walk through your own worst memories until your self is shattered and you beg for the relief of nothingness. You'd see your best friends turn on you, your failures come back again and again and even the ones you love-"

"Operator, why are you so well versed in-"

"BECAUSE SOMETIMES TWINS JUST KNOW WHAT THE OTHER IS GOING THROUGH!" Ria screamed with wide eyes.

Sindr let out a sigh and got up. "Hey… it's fine… I know, you won't let that happen to me." She said gently.

The Tenno sobbed loudly. "No, I won't!" She shook her head "Sicarius, give me a rundown on the implant's structure."

"Operator, the weave is not just grafted on. It is integrated into several neural nodes and while it is most prominent on the spinal cord, it goes up into the brainstem. The whole structure around the vertebrae can be seen as an antenna. There are traces of intercerebral linings, but the medulla oblongata is the last connected structure." Sicarius explained.

"So, removal would kill the patient?"

"No, not immediately. It would leave the higher brain functions intact, yet leave the patient in what is colloquially called "locked-in syndrome"."

Sindr grimaced. "That sounds bad, if it is what I think it is…"

"Even cuts at the very end would probably lead to paraplegia from that point downwards." The Cephalon continued "I see no way to successfully remove the weave without doing massive damage, Operator. Maybe on a relay, we can-"

"We have to think of something now, Sicarius!" The Tenno said quickly "Any relay is busting with Tenno and somatic links. If one stumbles into that new and weird frequency… they could kill her on accident."

"But Operator, I can't see any short term solutions! Our Orbiter certainly does not have the technology for full spinal replacements!"

"The Steel Meridian might!" Ria pleaded "They are running on recycled parts after all. If we instantly change course after our engines are back on, we could get to Earth. They might have implants and-"

"None that would interface with the advanced Orokin augmentations, Operator." Sicarius answered.

Sind let out a groan. "Fun! I survive Corpus, Tenno, fucking Infested… and now I might buy it at any time because-"

"INFESTED!" Ria said and a grin spread.

"What about them?" Sindr asked carefully. She didn't like the glint in Ria's eyes.

"Sicarius, the silicates. I assume they are the same elemental compound as Void crystals?"

"With very slight variation, Operator. They are just as reactive and-"

"Sindr, go and take a shower. Sicarius will set it to disinfection. Then come and join me in the room opposite yours… we're going to do something incredibly stupid." Ria said and got up.

Sindr groaned. "Sure, why stop now? Can you at least tell me what you're going to do?"

"We can't remove the structure, but we can modify it. The Infestation can reorganize and twist the thing in a way that would make it borderline impo-"

"Wait a minute!" The Grineer interrupted "You want to INFEST me?" A hint of panic invaded her voice "I've seen our doctors lob of arms and legs and it still spread! That shit never stops!"

"We're not going to use the hazardous strain!" Ria answered and walked past Sindr "We'll use the same that is forming Warframes. It's docile and-"

"You know how often I've heard a Hyekka tamer tell us how cute and well trained her monster is? Right after they fitted the survivors with a new set of fingers!" Sindr shot back.

"Sindr, this isn't a joke, you are highl-"

"NO, this isn't a joke!" The Grineer yelled "You jump up, tell me a bunch of confusing shit and now you want to put Infection into me! INFECTION! The shit that kills entire colonies! I've been drilled to off myself and everyone around when someone says that they hear the voice! And you want to pump that into me! Do you know how fucking scary that is?"

Ria froze. The Tenno's gaze dropped and her eyes moistened. "Sindr, I… I'm sorry!"

Sindr sighed and scooped closer. "Good… now, you're going to tell me exactly what all that means-" She said firmly and reached out to touch the Tenno's cheek. "-and THEN we do whatever you say..."

Ria looked up and found a bit of courage in Sindr's gaze. "Those crystalline shapes back there-" she said and pointe over her shoulder "They are highly receptive to all kinds of energy. The Orokin used them as amplifiers, power conduits, cables… basically anything. The drones implanted a weave of them into your spinal cord. It makes it a receiver for continuity."

"Ok, I get that. And you're worried that some Orokin or Tenno or whatever accidentally jacks my brain…"

A shiver went through the Tenno. "Yes… that thing makes it easy. You couldn't even fight back, no matter how strong you will is."

"Good, what next?"

"Did you ever enter the Derelict?"

"No, not really… I was mostly stationed as backup and defence."

"Well, the Infestation can infect and twist the crystalline structures. They turn black and jagged but they retain most of their capabilities. They are still conductive, that's why the towers still have energy." Ria explained "Even if we can't remove it, if we adjust it so far, it would function more like a Warframe's receptor. That would give you a fighting chance."

"You sure?"

"Yes… No Tenno would try to connect to a full sentience. And Orokin would never inhabit a body with a hint of Infestation."

"And you have a kind of Infestation that won't turn me into a terrible mutant monster?"

Ria paused. Something seemed to scratch at the back of her brain, but the memory was fuzzy. Finally, she nodded slowly. "It's the same as my Warframe. If we control the Infestation, we can modify the receiving abilities without hurting you."

"And you are sure? Your friends don't exactly look all that much like people either…"

"I'll be there at every step of the way, I promise, I won't let anything bad happen to you!"

Sindr nodded and bit her lip. "This is really fucking scary, you know…"

Ria reached up and grabbed the Grineer's arm with both hand. "Yes, it is…"

"Ok…" Sindr said with a deep breath "Let's not fuck before. Too much tension and it would feel like a goodbye… better wait for when it's over…"

The words hit the Tenno like a brick and she let out a confused laugh. "Huh?"

"You know, victory fuck over good-luck fuck. Now, let's get this done…"

Ria seemed to deflate and her forehead hit Sindr's collarbone. "You're so dumb, dumb, dumb and I like you sooooo much!"

Sindr just padded the Tenno's head. "Then I'm sure you'll take good care of me…"

The two embraced once more before Ria went to prepare the special room and left Sindr with her thoughts.

"I have prepared the shower." And Sicarius apparently. Sindr let out a sigh. "So, you going to take the opportunity and have me die on the table?" She asked humourlessly.

"As much as it would please me, your survival is the Operator's wish and I follow the Operator's wishes." The Cephalon answered coldly. But suddenly his tone changed a bit "I also see only positive outcomes from this endeavour. As much as I dislike the Grineer's culture, mentality, physiology and you in particular, you would make a decent Warframe."

"What?" Sindr asked coldly.

Silence.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" The Grineer asked again, this time louder.

"Advance to the shower. I have prepared a gown for you as well. The opening goes on the back."

Sindr looked up and shook her head. "He's fucking with me, he's just fucking with me!" she said as she marched into the shower. She re-emerged later, squeaky clean and clad in a long, light greyish gown that opened on her back. The path to the unknown room was more taxing than it should have been. When she reached the door, it remained closed. Sindr raised her hand to knock. Suddenly, there was a something.

(Your demand… it pains us, Void Demon)

Sindr felt her teeth ache at every noise. And it was noises! She understood what it meant, but there were not words in it. Just NOISE!

(Our beauty… rejected… and yet I serve, Void Demon…)

Suddenly, the door opened. Sindr froze, eyes wide, mouth halfway open. That room… it was… Infection!  
Her eyes darted around. She saw infested plants, slowly waving on the sides. There was fleshy, metallic growth covering pillars and beneath a glass plate, strange, alien fish were swimming in circles. A horrible seat-like thing was stationed in the middle, sharp talons extended at the headrest and weird techno-organic panels and bolts were held next to it. It all moved, obviously alive.

Sindr took a step back. Infestation! Infestation everywhere! Her breath sped up. She couldn't! No… this wasn't real! This was a sick joke!

"Sindr?" Ria's voice called out from the back and the Tenno appeared besides the chair.

The view was surreal. The little Tenno, frail and waifish, walked amongst the twisted abominations of flesh and iron, as if she was skipping through the flowers. Gloomy flowers, if you judged her expression, but still, flowers.

"Come here, I've set up everything for the procedure. Even if the dumb Chungus is playing the diva!"

Sindr took a deep breath and forced herself to take a step forward. "What is a Chungus?" she asked carefully.

"Technically, it's called Helmith, but I just call it Chungus… chunky fungus…"

(Your mocking tongue is just one sting among legion…)

"See? It's a total crybaby!" Ria finally groaned and began fiddling with the console next to the chair "Could you sit down here? I'm putting in the last details for the operation."

(She would not reject our unity… why do you force me into loneliness, Void Demon?)

"What is that thing talking about?" Sindr said through gritted teeth.

"I'll be using its hive mind to guide and limit the infestation…" Ria said and took a deep breath "And it's weird. I didn't know it was this… giddy. Usually it's not talking about infesting anything."

(Despair and loneliness)

"You sure we can trust that thing?" Sindr asked again. This day… it was getting comically terrible.

"Yes, I am. It is directly connected to the Orbiter and it has no choice but to follow the programing." Ria said with a hint of annoyance "But it's not connected to Sicarius, so I have to enter the procedure by hand."

A certain degree of relief went through the Grineer. Her Tenno was too thorough to overlook a trap by the Cephalon. Sindr let out a sigh. "Fine, then let's get this over with…"


	16. Chapter 16

Warframe belongs to DE

The procedure done in this story is not WHO approved. Don't use parasitic infections as a cure!

* * *

She was strapped to a morphing, melted slab. Talons danced a hypnotic dance in the corner of her eye and soon, she knew, she would feel their touch. And yet this wasn't the thing that crept Sindr out the most. It was the air. That stagnant, stale, completely tasteless air. By all accounts, she would expect this room to be moist, mouldy and the like, but it wasn't. And that disconnect made it just a slight bit worse.

A tremor went through the slab, and Sindr felt the backrest split in half. Her spine was exposed. And her butt was cold.

"Now don't worry." Ria said from the side "It will depressurize the back to hold you in place. That helps with the precision."

Sindr would have nodded, but the sudden pull all along her spine stiffened her neck. "Comfy…" She remarked humourless.

"I'm sorry." The Tenno muttered "This thing is supposed to maintain and repair Warframes first and foremost. And those are a lot sturdier than humans. But your augmentations should soften the punch… I mean-"

"Ria, can you please put me under? I know, you're trying, but seriously, this is fucking freaky!" Sindr groaned loudly.

Ria bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I can't."

"What?"

"Your new liver is too strong. I don't have any drugs that could keep you down." She explained with an awkward expression. "And even if I did, I kinda need you to put up a fight in case the Chungus acts out. So I'm going to put a current through spinal cord's major nodes to short out your receptors. The upside is that you'll be awake and you won't feel a thing… the downside is that you'll be awake and… won't be able to move at all."

Sindr's groan let the whole ship vibrate. "Congratulations, you just manage to replace all that freaky fright with complete and utter annoyance…" she said in a deadpan.

"I'm sorry…"

"Hey, you're doing this to save my life, so I shouldn't complain…" The Grineer answered "Even if I want to."

Ria nodded and pressed a button. "I'm beginning, please, tell me if-"

"One thing!" Sindr interrupted quickly "Erm… am I going to empty anything if I don't have any feeling in my… you know… I don't want to sit in my own-"

"Oh, no. The system will put your muscles down there into lock-down. Though, you might be a bit sore afterwards."

"Good, but trust me, I've had a few, way more fun ways to have a sore as-"

"Sindr! You're embarrassing me in front of the parasitic hive-mind!" Ria hissed harshly. She took a deep breath. "I'll switch on the paralyzers now."

The Grineer took a breath and suddenly, she felt a small jolt. Followed by nothing. Anywhere below her chin. She tried a few times to move, but there was just nothing. No feeling, no mental feedback, no anything. She didn't even feel the shivers that were probably running over her back right now. "Wow… fuck…"

Ria popped in her field of vision for a moment, worry in her features. "I'll try to make it quick, but it might stay like that for a bit, even after we're done."

Sindr tried, but she didn't manage to nod. Or smile. "Just get started."

The Tenno nodded and pushed a few buttons. One of the talons disappeared for a moment and Sindr felt movement. Like something was yanking on her body. A loud scraping followed that made her teeth hurt.

(Our beauty… your perfection… we welcome you…)

"The procedure has begun." Ria stated quickly "Do you want a real-time hologram to examine how it goes along?"

"I'd rather have a fresh Index match or a few raunchy videos of you. But since we're out of both, I'm fine…" Sindr said with rolling eyes.

"Operator, if necessary, I have video data of you doing stretching-"

"Sicarius, you only speak in case of emergency!" Ria yelled and groaned "Seems like you're dealing with it pretty well." She muttered toward Sindr.

(Join…)

Sindr felt a tingling in her… brainstem? Whatever part of her head it was, it was tingling weirdly. "Hey, I think the thingie is acting up!"

The Tenno nodded and held up a hand, whitish energy dancing on her fingertips. "Controlled shock at the ready."

(We obey, Void Demon…)

The tingling stopped.

"We're at a quarter." Ria said calmly, eyes on the screen.

It didn't exactly soothe the Grineer's nerves. It had begun freaky, but now she was utterly terrified. Being at the mercy of the fucking Cephalon was bad enough, but now it was freakish flesh-fungus monster.

(We can soothe all worries. We are the devourer of fear, the executor of doubt. Join and the demon will take your pain away…)

"Did you hear that?" Sindr asked, surprised that Ria didn't respond to being mentioned.

"No, but I better hear the next time!" The Tenno said loudly and stomped at the glass floor, scaring the ichthyoid creatures below.

(Your pain shall remain… until you wish to join… we are always welcoming… someday… We are part of you now…)

"Halfway done!" Ria announced.

"Hey, can you do me a favour?" Sindr asked, eyes wide. The thing was silent for now, but something inside her own mind was drawing a terrible picture and she needed a distraction. Anything at this point. "There is a blueprint in my personal files. I've spent months saving up the parts and it's a bit expensive, but can you build it for me? It would mean a lot."

"What is it?"

"It's a surprise. The name is GrandakkaE6."

Ria nodded. "Sicarius, can you find and build the object."

There was a moment of silence. "Operator, I am not sure if this is-"

"It's harmless!" Sindr interrupted "And don't spoil the surprise!"

"Operator, I have to-"

"You heard the patient, Sicarius. We have to respect the wishes of the infirm." Ria answered with a wink.

"It will need a neural sensor, Operator. And quite a bit of plastids."

"We can afford that. Get it done." The Tenno ordered.

"As you wish, Operator." Sicarius muttered and turned silent again.

"And only give it to me, got it!" Sindr added "It's a surprise!"

Ria looked at her with a wry smile. "Should I be worried?"

"Yes! Now, how long until we are done?"

"A bit more. The infection is done with its part. It will now apply-"

"AAAAAH! Cold!"

"The healing gel… and it smeared it a bit too far up…" Ria said apologetically.

"I feel less than one centimetre of my neck and it had to… urgh!" Sindr winced.

"Sorry…" The Tenno muttered and pulled a lever.

Sindr felt movement again and her perspective changed a bit. She was being moved slightly up. Now she was staring at the deformed ceiling. The talons had returned, twitching happily next to her head. The darkish grey hid it, but she was sure there was her blood on them. All the good-natured quipping in the system couldn't make this-

"Ok, I'll go and get Excalib-"

"What?" The Grineer screamed "You're not leaving me alone in here!" She tried, but she couldn't even move her head from side to side.

"It will only be a mo-"

"No!" Sindr interrupted loudly "Don't leave!"

"But-"

"I… I can't take this place all alone!" Her breath sped up "You have any idea how scary this is WITH you around? I can't take this all alone, Ria! Please, don't go…"

She heard footsteps and Ria's face appeared in her vision. The soft glow In the dark. Like seeing the stars after a long sandstorm. "But I can't carry you out without my warframe." She said slowly "And I really don't want to stay in here either."

The Grineer's eyes begun to sting. "Look, I… just… how long until I can move again? I… I'm so scared and…" She let out a sob "There is a Cephalon who wants to kill me and that hive-thing that wants to eat me… I… I don't want to be alone with them! I… just… just stay… please!"

The Tenno leaned closer and gently stroked Sindr's cheek. She could feel the Grineer relax under her touch. Of course Sindr was terrified… this was all around horrifying. Slowly, she leaned her forehead against Sindr's, hoping that taking her full field of vision and some skin contact would soothe her nerves a little. A tinge of sadness hit her. Usually, a strong hand would have reached up and…  
The Tenno closed her eyes. What she wouldn't do for just enough muscle to carry the big woman out.  
She heard a sniffing sound and when she opened her eyes, she saw tears run down Sindr's cheeks.

"I want to hug you so much right now…" The Grineer muttered.

"And I wish you could feel me." Ria answered. She wiped a tear away. This was grating. She wanted to get Sindr out of this room. Just back to her bed, where both felt safe. Why couldn't she be stronger? Why couldn't she control her warframe from a distance? Why couldn't sh-

"Operator?" A familiar voice asked loudly.

"What?" Ria hissed. Void's sake, couldn't this piece of jun-

"I'm measuring transference signals."

The Tenno's eyes went wide. "What? What's the source? Is someone trying to-"

"No, Operator. That is the issue. You are the source! You have been for a few minutes! Your warframe is-"

The opening of the main door interrupted the Chephalon. Ria turned. Excalibur was standing in the doorway. He was slumped backwards, his left leg was dragged along and just a few shambling steps into the room, the proud warrior fell over. The Tenno blinked, mouth open.  
"Whu… how did that happen?"

"I have a theory, Operator. Would you like me to-"

"No, thank you Sicarius. We can talk after Sindr is feeling better." Ria interrupted and pressed a quick kiss onto Sindr's cheek. She returned just heartbeats later, a glowing hand firmly on Excalibur's arm.

"I don't get what's going on, but I am glad." The Grineer said with a slightly more honest smile than before. She had to fight a tinge of vertigo, when Excalibur lifted her in his arms. She couldn't even steady her own head and Ria had to use her free hand to keep it stable. And Sindr was grateful. Feeling nothing but her Tenno's hand keeping her safe was exactly what she needed. Another flutter of joy joined in her brain when the two left that nightmarish realm of twisted steel and… whatever those fish were. And yet one more flutter jumped though her brain when the pair reached Ria's quarters. Sindr couldn't feel the soft sheets beneath her body, but she could smell her Tenno's all familiar scent sticking to them. And Ria's declaration of "privacy mode" almost made her overlook the earlier trauma.  
Still, she was confined to looking at the ceiling and for the moment that it took Ria to move Excalibur out of the room, Sindr was alone with her thoughts.

(The demon will take the pain away…)

Ria was the void demon… right? How did she take the pain of infected…

"Hey, how are you doing?" A familiar voice asked and tore Sindr from her thought. She felt the vibration of Ria climbing onto the bed.

"I'm on my back in your bed with a clenched butthole and I can't feel anything down the neck." Sindr answered with a sigh "I want to make a sex-joke, but this isn't comparable to anything. I've ever done." She gave a wry smile "Well… glad I have one first time with you." Her features turned serious "But let's get this straight: How long do I stay like this?"

"The shock has already stopped working." Ria said and cuddled up next to Sindr's body. Touching those muscles when they were so limp and weak. It felt wrong. "But it'll take a bit longer until the swelling goes back the infected crystal is reintegrated. So, I'd say at least one or two more hours."

Sindr grimaced. "Hey, can you either move my head or get in my field of vision? Your ceiling isn't very interesting." She paused for a moment "Or maybe those videos of you stretching…"

There was a lot of shuffling and suddenly, Ria's face appeared right in front of Sindr's. "I hope I'm not too heavy." The Tenno muttered.

"I've said it before: I've worn ARMOUR that was heavier than you are!" The Grineer sighed. Annoyance was kicking in again. That cute, brown face was right in front of her. Two pouty lips begged to be kissed and nibbled and Sindr couldn't move. And she didn't even want to think about how much she wanted to feel that perky, little body that was resting on top of her. "So, what now?"

The Tenno grimaced. "I suggest we switch off the lights and take a nap until your nerves start playing again." Her cheeks became a tinge more colourful "And then… how did you call it?"

"Victory Fuck?" Sindr answered with a giggle.

"Yes, that…"

* * *

Sorry for the long delay. Having a full time job and going to evening school is a bit taxing as it seems. But it's a bit less hectic now. Hope you enjoyed. R+R and all that


	17. Chapter 17

Warframe is owned by DE

Warning! Grineer tech is not just fun and games. Sindr should have read the manual and will be very lucky in this chapter! Do not use Grineer tech without the manual or adequate training!

* * *

Darkness. Calm, quiet, eternal. Darkness that soothes and embraces. Darkness that lets you forget.

And suddenly…

PAIN!

Sindr let out a scream as every cell in her body seemed to burn hot as the sun. She bucked as spasms ran through her and barely heard the loud "Wah!" as Ria was thrown off the bed.  
And then… the pain was gone.  
Sindr let out a gasp and reached up to… "Hey!" she said with a laugh "I can move!"

"Lights!" A rather annoyed voice muttered with a groan before the light came on and Ria's head appeared over the side of the bed. "I should have seen this coming…"

The Grineer looked to the side and smiled apologetic. "Sorry, I-"

Ria raised her hand. "Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault. Just nerve endings firing." She crawled closer "How do you feel?"

"Tingly…" Sindr muttered and shook herself. Her whole body seemed to be filled with very annoyed ants. Even her prosthetics were no exceptions.

"The sensation should be fleeting." Sicarius' cold voice suddenly announced "Phantom pain. Your actual body is fine. According to my scans, the operation was a full success. I have the frequency of the patient saved and once we dock, I will inform every Cephalon in the system to block it."

Ria looked up. "Thank you, Sicarius. That will be a-"

"Excuse me, Operator, but there is more!" The Cephalon stressed "I have also finished the forging of the spare parts require to repair the ship. If it is fine with you, I will start the repairs immediately. The repairs should be done in less than 15 hours."

"Good work, Sicarius!" The Tenno said with a smile.

Sindr stretched some more. The tingling was beginning to fade. "You two excuse me for a moment, but I really want a shower and some different clothes." Ria opened her mouth, but Sindr interjected "Yeah, I won't be wearing them for long, but this ass-free gown pisses me off."

The Tenno held back her comments as she watched the tall woman leave, enjoying the view quite a bit.

The Grineer didn't waste much time with enjoying the shower. She wanted to be done, plain and simple. Being away from Ria meant being alone with Sicarius. Though, just for a moment, she turned around in front of the mirror. The freshly healed, surgical scar was barely visible between her old ones. It didn't hurt, or anything, but part of her almost expected something spiky to burst out at any moment.

"I see the procedure was a success in every way." Sicarius voice suddenly rang through the bathroom.

The woman looked up, annoyance on her features. "What do you want?" she hissed.

"Against my better judgement, I shall inform you that the item, you ordered has been finished as well. You can retrieve it from the foundry." Sicarius said coldly "Even if I wish you would not."

Sindr let out a laugh "The good news keep coming today." The Grineer said with a bit of a grin and began to put on her grey jogging suit. The fact that Sicarius very likely resented the spring in her step just sweetened the whole deal!

Ria meanwhile was taking deep breaths, sitting on her bed. She had a bad feeling about this. Something seemed incredibly wrong. But somehow, she couldn't put the pieces together. For some reason, she felt as if she had jumped out of the Liset and just noticed that the archwing had no mods. And you had a Corvus…  
The door opened.  
A smile returned to Ria's lips. It was the little things that made life bearable. Like seeing a really tall and sexy lady in work-out clothes walk towards you with that special glimmer in her eyes.

Sindr sat down on the bed looking over with an equally broad grin. A thought danced around her head. Her smile vanished. "Say… what happened earlier… with the frame."

"Hm?" The Tenno let herself flop to her side "You mean with Excalibur?"

"Yeah, that… you want to talk?"

Ria rolled onto her belly, her chin on her forearms. "It's nice to offer… but I don't. Not now…" She said with a sigh. She glanced sideways. "Look, so much bad stuff has happened and we have just one day left before a lot of annoying questions will be asked. I… I just want to… you know… enjoy my time with you."

A grin ran over Sindr's lips. "I'm not gonna lie: I am glad that you say that." Her eyebrows rose "I was worried since I found you fully dressed though."

The Tenno smirked softly and reached backs. Her hips rose and wordlessly she grabbed her own pants.

"You ARE eager to celebrate, aren't you?" Sindr asked with a wolfish grin and got up "But I think I still owe you something…"

Ria stopped and looked up.

The huge woman held out her arms. "Come here!" She said with a smile.

Not a heartbeat was wasted and Ria basically launched herself at Sindr. Strong arms welcomed her, pulled her upwards and close. She felt one hand reach under her butt and wrapped her legs around the Grineer's hips, giving the huge woman a good grip to keep her steady and stable.  
Butterflies danced through Ria's stomach and she let out a happy sigh, cheek leaning on a strong shoulder. This feeling of safety, of being held securely and tightly by those strong arms.  
"Does it hurt?" The Tenno whispered, her hands running over the steely muscles of Sindr's shoulders.

Sindr gently stroked Ria's blue hair with her free hand. "I've had worse surgeries. All is fine back there."

The smaller woman sighed happily. That strength. That endlessly gentle strength. She had missed it so much. It had been just a few hours, but Void, how happy it made her to be back in these arms. Rough fingers began stroking her scalp. Ria wiggled slightly and let out a satisfied hum.

"You really do like it when I carry you…" Sindr mused, her hand slowly running down over Ria's neck.

"I do…" The Tenno muttered.

Rough fingers ran down Ria's back and slowly to her side. "Weird kink… kinda cute." Sindr mused.

Ria let out a murmur and pushed a kiss onto Sindr's neck. Then another. She felt that strong hand twitch under the wave of pleasure her lips caused and snuggled closer. Her flat chest was pushing against Sindr's fullness. Blue lips left a trail of joy upwards, eagerly suckling cloned flesh at every step of the way.

The Grineer let out a hoarse moan and turned to sit down as the pleasure made her legs tremble. "Still working out for you?" she asked with a hiss.

The smaller woman answered by locking lips with Sindr. The kiss was deep and loving but soon, it evolved into a sloppy make out. It was obvious to Ria that her lover was no longer holding back. And she wouldn't have it any other way. Heat was spreading throughout her body with every time, their lips collided and with every nip from either of the two. Rough hands caressed her back, leaving small traces of warmth. Ria let out an eager moan when Sinrd suddenly pulled hard on those blue lips and her hips bucked against Sindr's stomach. The Grineer repeated and every time, Ria couldn't help but grind hard against the huge woman.  
As she bucked yet again, Sindr pulled her closer and Ria's eyes shot open.  
Something was pressing against her pubic eminence. Something hard and-

"WAH!" The Tenno yelped and would have jumped away, if Sindr hadn't tightened her grip,

"Surprise!" The Grineer whispered hoarsely into Ria's ear and gave it a quick nibble "It turned out way better than expected…"

Ria moaned "You built a… ahhhh- a dildo?"

"No…" Sindr smirked "I made the thing I was saving pay for years now. It's amazing! It's neutrally linked, adjusts its size by will, hardens, softens, self-lubricating, ejaculates… Void, I was looking so forward to this!"

A shudder went through the Tenno. Fooling around with Sindr was wonderful, but this… was a bit sudden. "Sindr…." She gasped as the tip dug into her panties. Then again… her snatch was burning with lust. "Just… be gentle…" A strong hand gently brushed over her face.

"Don't worry, we can stop at any moment. You can be on top. Just enjoy yourself." Sindr whispered.

"No… I…" Ria gently pushed herself away "This maybe sounds weird… but can you, like… push me into the bed?"

The Grineer stopped herself from raising and eyebrow. "Sure, whatever you like."

The Tenno pushed a big kiss on the bigger woman's lips and flopped onto the bed. She basically ripped her top off, revealing her dusky nipples that stood hard with arousal. Her pants and soaked panties.

Sindr turned. And stopped. It didn't matter how often she saw Ria naked, every time made her stop and take in the view. She joked about the cobalt blue hair and lipstick, but truth be told: It worked so well against the Tenno's ebony skin. And those gentle curves, harshly contrasted against the white sheets.

Ria felt her cheeks light up. "Don't just stare…"

Mischief danced over Sindr's features. "Oh… and what exactly do you want me to do?"

"You know…"

"Sure do, but I want you to say it."

Ria felt a tremor go through her. "Come on! Just-"

"Nope! You're gonna come on and tell me exactly what you want out of this…"

The Tenno bit her lip. "I want you to…"

"Yes? And with as much profanity as you can!"

"I want you to fuck me!"

Sindr didn't answer and got up. She dropped her panties. The bulge revealed its true nature. It wasn't very pretty. The thing was dirty yellow, like a Grakata and barely shaped like a real penis. Black straps fastened it to Sindr's crotch, hiding the complex electronics that connected it to the Grineer's clit.

Ria bit he lip. "Sure looks like a Grineer toy."

Sindr just reached down. To the Tenno's surprise, the phallus began morph and shift under Sindr's grip. When she let go, it had formed a smooth, featureless cylinder. Even the colour had changed to jet black. Even the size had adjusted, now looking far less intimidating. "The Empire's finest!"

"Yes…" Ria said with a coy nod "And that dildo is pretty nifty too."

"Flattery BEFORE I even start… you spoil me…" Sindr grinned fiendishly and scooped closer. To her delighted surprise, Ria immediately pulled her close and locked lips. The kiss was sloppy and needy. Ria was not holding back anymore. She wanted it. Hell, she was dragging Sindr on top of herself.  
The bigger woman barely held onto her self-control. A thought crossed her mind and she roughly pushed the Tenno flat onto the bed. Needy eyes looked up at her. Sindr bit her lip. If she let herself go all out, she might end up hurting the little woman. No, she would give Ria what she wanted, but she would do it her way.  
With one quick move, Sindr pulled her top and bra off, revealing her heaving breasts.  
That sparkle in Ria's eyes that followed. Sindr felt her confidence swell. Then she bent over. The Tenno let out a squeal as the two giant breasts spilled into her face. She instantly caught one of the nipples and began to lick and suckle with gusto. Sindr bit her lip as soft, blue lips caused pure fire to course through her body. Her little Tenno sure loved to suck tits. Sindr let herself enjoy the treatment for a while. She put a bit more or less pressure on Ria, gently testing the waters. Finally, it was time. Sindr reached down. Her real hand ran over Ria's ebony flower. Burning hot and soaking wet. The Grineer shifted herself and lined up her borrowed manhood and to her joy, Ria began to rub herself against it.  
Sindr let out a loud groan. The feeling was so strange. She felt like her clit had expanded and was even more sensitive than usual. And right now, tight, dusky lips were rubbing against the tip.  
With an incredible amount of willpower, Sindr kept herself from just thrusting and instead slowly and gently began to part Ria's lips. She heard the Tenno moan loudly and felt dark fingernails dig into her shoulders. Sindr couldn't keep herself from letting out a hoarse gasp either. Ria's folds were softer than velvet and felt hotter than the sun.  
It was heaven. Nothing less.  
"You ok?" Sindr asked in a trembling voice.

"Yes!" Ria gasped. The penetration had hurt a bit, but she was getting used to the size and heat. And the pleasure was making her forget. She wanted this so much. She wanted Sindr deeper right now. "Fuck me!"  
The Grineer began to move. The thrusts were slow, gentle and careful. Ria was sure she could feel every single detail of the dildo as it entered her willing snatch again and again. Each time, hot pleasure coursed through her body and each time it left, she felt her hips move after it, begging to be filled again. Soon, she was moaning uncontrolledly, her entire world focused on that incredible heat that was building up in her.  
Sindr sped up. Tremors shot through the Tenno, Sindr pushed further and loud slapping sounds began to fill the room. Ria was entirely covered by the huge woman, only two shapely legs were visible, as they clung tightly to the Grineer's plump ass.  
Suddenly, Sindr grabbed one of the legs and spread, letting her thrust even deeper. Ria let out a hoarse scream against Sindr's breasts as she hit her first orgasm. Her folds clamped down on the Grineer's tool, but to no avail. Sindr continued to thrust into her, forcing the Tenno to ride out the orgasm helplessly. And Sindr wouldn't stop there. Ria wanted to be fucked and she would get that and exactly that.  
The Tenno had reached just her fourth orgasm when Sindr suddenly sped up one last time. With a few, final, deep thrusts, she let the pleasure take her over as well and came. Ria felt something hot fill her up and finally, Sindr pulled back.

The Tenno was a quivering mess. Sweaty, trembling and so incredibly satisfied. Whatever clear fluid the dildo ejaculated, it was dripping down her ass. "You…" she muttered between heavy breaths "You are amazing…"

"You're no slouch yourself." Sindr answered with a grin and let herself flop down next to Ria. She pulled the Tenno close, relishing in her warmth. For a moment, she was considering a snappy remark. But Ria wouldn't have heard it either way. Her eyes had drifted shut and her mind was taking a well-deserved break in dreamland.

* * *

In case you were wondering: I had a lot going on in my life. Some very good things actually. Issue being: Those events made writing erotica pretty emotionally awkward. Now I'm finally used to things. Hope you enjoyed


	18. Chapter 18

"Warframe is owned by DE br  
"Trigger Warning: This chapter contains a final look into Ria's past. It's gonna be messed up and disturbing.

* * *

Ria's eyes fluttered open. The room was dark, her blanket was carefully wrapped around her. As she stirred, a thought ran through her head. Had the last week been just a weird, weird dream? Was Sindr just a figment of her imagination? Ria let out a giggle at the thought. Nope! She wasn't known to sleep in the nude and the fact that weird Grineer fluids were oozing from her loins.

"Goodness, what is this stuff?" She muttered as she ran her hand over her privates. That Grineer dick was one squirty toy.

Metal clanked on metal outside and suddenly the door opened. A happy smile invaded the Tenno's features. Sindr stepped in, circled by the harsh light of the rest of the Orbiter. She was holding a tray with cups and a plate, clad only in a pair of lose and slightly bulging panties.

"Hey..." Ria muttered, rolling to her side, still half-covered with the blanket "How long was I out?"

"Half an hour." Sindr asked in bemusement and went to sit down on the side of the bed, tray on lap "I thought you might be a bit hungry and thirsty. You haven't eaten anything all day."

The Tenno sat up and nodded. "I am a bit hungry..." she admitted and rolled her shoulders.

"I didn't know what you'd like, so I... well... I hope the shine bucket did actually chose something to your taste. Wouldn't surprise me if he gives you something that tastes like Krill's codpiece. "

"I doubt that he is that vindictive." Ria giggled and crawled closer. She reached out, but Sindr grabbed her hand.

"You're not eating on the floor, get it?"

The Tenno rolled her eyes. "It's not a compulsion..."

"Just making sure." Sindr said seriously. A grin danced over her face "Want some clothes too?"

Ria shook her head and took the plate. "I don't really feel like it. The sheets are nice and..." She cuddled closer "You are warm enough for me..." Still, her eyes narrowed. Was Sicarius that vindictive? She took a spoon full. Time for that Tenno bravery... Coconut and pineapple. She could live with that.

"Do you want some clothes?"

"Why bother?" Ria laughed between bites "Say..." the Tenno muttered after a while "That thing was fun and all, but what exactly does it shoot? I don't want to find out that we're missing mutagen samples or something."

Sindr shrugged and put her hand on Ria's shoulder, holding her gently. "I think it drains girl-juice from me and uses that." She poked the bulge in her panties "I had a look at the manual while you were sleeping but seriously, this thingie... it's overwhelming. Got something for every fetish ever... like... you can make the jizz white so you can roleplay knocking someone up. Or use some expanding gas-liquid thing to make the belly bulge! Like... who gets off on that?"

"Better not you!" Ria stressed.

"Hey, I'm fine with the... what we did last night."

"You mean vanilla"

"What is a vanilla?"

Ria looked up. "Oh... you... sorry, it's a dictum. It comes from a flavour that was really easy to replicate on the old world. So, people used it to describe appealing but unspectacular things." A small grin ran over her face "So... it doesn't really fit in the strictest of sense."

Sindr let out a laugh. "You do know a lot, don't you? And yes, I am pretty awesome..."

The Tenno smirked. "So..." she mused "You have done some kinky things in the past?"

"I really did wake up a monster, didn't I?"

"Come on... you can't blame me for getting curious. I mean, I got all my info about sex from books and video!"

Sindr sighed. "Fine, I'll share a few, but you have to promise that you're not gonna get jealous!"

"Don't worry, I'm too happy to feel like that right now. And you better share now, later I might get too disgusted... when I'm not just thinking about you." Ria giggled "So... what did you get up to?"

"Me, personally, I'm more into getting others off. Even if it did involve some weird stuff from time to time..." Sindr mused "Hmm... I think the weirdest thing I ever dealt with was that heavy gunner that was on a leave. Nightwatch unit, bigger than me... like, really scary bitch. And once the armour was off, she, like, couldn't even start going without dressing in a ton of pink, frilly... what did she call it? Lingerie? Lace? Something like that."

Ria almost choked on her food. "What?"

"Yeah, weird, right? She said she saw it on some colony raid. And over that some really short skirt, a white shirt, like, these weird leg-warmers that you can see through."

"And a black tie, hair in pig-tails and she yelled kawai, called you sempai and begged you not to rip her clothes off?" The smaller woman concluded, horror in her eyes.

"Wait, that's a thing? She didn't make that part up? Like... even that dumb wig?" Sindr asked quickly.

"Let's just say that there are things that the Old War consumed that I thought dead." Ria muttered darkly "Apparently, I was wrong..."

"So, yeah, that was probably the weirdest."

"Please don't tell me that she also tried to get tentacles-"

"Don't know, I quit after the second night! Got a sore hand from all that spanking... her ass was harder than ferrite, I swear."

"You know, I expected weird... but not like this..." Ria said and shook her head. Apparently Tenno were not the only weeaboos in the Origin System. "Any stories that are less sanity-draining?" She asked as she put the plate back.

"Well... there were those two Scorpions."

"Yes, I think you mentioned them."

"A really cute pair. Like, silly adorable." Sindr said with a bit of a smirk "Really tiny though. Smaller than most. Almost your size."

A very blue pout formed.

"Awww, come on! You're adorable!"

"Doesn't mean I have to like being small! Sometimes when I hug you, I feel like your pouch." Ria said. A small blush formed. "Even if I really like it... I just wish I was taller..."

"Nah, you're just the size I like..." Sindr laughed and nudged Ria with her elbow "Though I do wish there were also two of you... I tell you that was fun!"

Ria froze for a moment. Slowly, her gaze dropped, a solemn smile on her face. "There used to be... two of me."

The Grineer's eyes went wide. "OH SHIT! Ria... I... oh fuck that was terrible... look, I'm-"

The Tenno shook her head. "Don't be! I know you meant no harm..." She let out a deep sigh and looked up, her expression hard to read. "Do you... want to know?"

Sindr sighed. "Look, I... oh... I mean..." she groaned "I want to, but I don't want to hurt you... I mean, that must be horrible for you! If you don-"

"I really want to talk about her..."

"Really?" Sindr asked firmly.

Ria sighed and leaned closer against the taller woman. Warm. "I've spent literal centuries not talking about her. For a while, I even forgot that she existed. I... if I have to be... this..." she gestured at her naked body "I want to be all of it. And thinking about it, I don't want her forgotten. And I've suffered from amnesia before..."

Sindr sighed, but nodded. "I... know what you mean. I'm fine with listening, if you want to share."

"Can we just lie down? I might need a hug all of a sudden."

Sindr wordlessly put the tray on the ground and scooped onto the bed. She also took off her legs while Ria got comfortable. Finally, she came to rest in Sindr's arms, back to her, while the Grineer leaned against the wall.

"Her name was Lissa." Ria said quietly, snuggling against Sindr while the big women held her close "We were twins. Natural and identical. The worst kind you can be..."

Sindr raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The Orokin hated twins. Hated us. It was standard procedure to kill twins at birth." Ria let out a breath "Lissa and I only survived because my family was too poor, too lowly to be even on the radar."

"Why would they do such a thing?" Sindr asked, unconsciously holding Ria tighter.

"I don't know... I can only guess." Ria answered "They believed in duality. That soul and body were two separate entities, bound together but still separate. Twins... well... basically, we were an abomination. What should become one soul, one body, became two. To them, we were like a hive mind."

"That sounds insane..."

"I wish I could agree..." The Tenno muttered "But there was something between us. We felt one another. When Lissa was sad, my eyes stung. When I was happy, Lissa was smiling." She let out a small laugh "Sometimes, when we managed to get a hold of something sweet, we'd take turns eating, so we'd feel each others joy. And when Lissa had that crush on a boy, my stomach would flutter whenever they met. It was a chore..." Ria laughed and heat built behind her eyes "You would have liked her. She was more like you. Rowdy and loud. She always bonked me on the head when I kept the lights on to read. And then she would complain that she felt hurt too." A tear dropped "We were poor. We had to hide because of what we were. But we had each other... and we thought that we would always have that."

"Hey... if you want to stop-"

"No! I..." Ria interrupted "She..." The Tenno squeezed her eyes shut and took a breath "We didn't know the truth. Our parents had plans. There was a rumor that an important Orokin official of the planet had an interest in natural twins. We ate the cheapest food for half a year, just so my father could save the money to get in contact with that official." She sighed "A week later, they took us to a golden place... gave us a full examination... gave us shots... corrected some ingrown teeth... removed our ovaries... at the time, we wouldn't even dream of getting such amazing medicine. And for a few months, we ate well." Ria closed her eyes, a familiar pain crept over her "Then, some day, father and a Dax... a real Dax... showed up and told us to come with them. They took us to a beautiful place, full of gold and ivory. I was 15 at the time... I... I was blown away by the beauty. And there were so many other kids... all of them pretty. Still, father gave us white robes to wear and we walked down to one of the golden lords... he... and his wife, she seemed ancient... liked us." The Tenno felt a tremor rush through her and grabbed Sindr's natural hand and squeezed "We didn't understand. Father told me to go with him. He took me to a bright room... two Dax were with him. He had them hold me down while he... groped me... he... I don't think he enjoyed it. His Dax didn't comment or care... he just... touched me again and again for I don't know how long..." She took a deep breath. Her mouth felt dry. "Then his wife came. I... I thought that would be it... that she would be angry or help me... but she just nodded... I'll never forget the grin... and the joy in her sunken eyes. He took off his robes... I had never seen such a beautiful man in my whole life. And then, after all that... he raped me."

A loud sob went through the room. Ria looked up. Tears ran down Sindr's cheeks. Ria turned in her arms and the two embraced, their tears not ending for a while.

"His Dax... just watched and his wife... she watched... and she laughed and cheered him on..." Ria muttered.

"Why? This... why would anyone do that to a..." Sindr muttered.

The Tenno swallowed. Her stomach was in knots. "Because this pair didn't just want to kill twins. They enjoyed separating them. Breaking one while the other suffered. First they made sure that Lissa and I could feel each other... and then... they... they..."

"Shh! You already told me..." Sindr whispered.

"Losing Lissa left this endless hole in me. It was like losing my arms." Ria whimpered "I didn't feel a thing afterwards. I... I wasn't human anymore... On the Zariman, I killed my parents... and felt nothing! Then I killed more... and more... I... I didn't care. When I felt the Void for the first time... I embraced it... and a part of me... will always be empty."

A gentle hand brushed over Ria's cheek. "It's OK... I... I can't imagine what you went through... but I'm here..."

Ria said no more. She wept quietly for her sister for the first time in centuries.

* * *

Sorry for the weird glitch. I have no idea what went wrong


	19. Chapter 19

Warframe belongs to DE

* * *

"How do you feel?"

Ria had to ponder the question. She was sad. Tears ran down her cheeks. That void inside of her was aching. She was naked, exposed. Weak, small. A thousand things she hated to be.

And yet... she was warm. She felt safe in two strong arms. She wasn't alone.

"I feel a lot..." The Tenno muttered and sobbed softly "It hurts..."

Sindr nodded and pulled her a bit closer. Ria had left a cold stain of tears and snot on her shoulder. "It hurts to be alive." She added quietly.

Ria nodded and sniffed. "I miss her. I miss her so much..."

"I know..."

The Tenno cleared her runny nose again. "I wish you could have met her." She mumbled.

"I wish I could have met her too."

A small laugh squeezed itself out of Ria's mouth. "No, you don't... You'd be fighting constantly..."

"Worse than with the shine bucket?"

"Yes... she was really forceful." Sniff "And protective."

Sindr ran her hand through Ria's hair. "Sounds like the two of you would have been too much even for me to handle."

The Tenno looked up, tears and snot running down her face. "You bet!" she said defiantly.

The Grineer gave a wry smile and pushed a gentle kiss on Ria's forehead. "I wish I could do more..."

"After all you've done..." Ria muttered and burried her face in Sindr's shoulder "My tongue will fall off before I ever make it up to you."

Sindr let oug a small laugh. "There she is..." She muttered and tightened her hug "There is my little Tenno."

"Thank you, Sindr." Ria sighed "Thank you for being amazing..."

"That's what I do. Being great..." The Grineer said with a smile and ran a hand through Ria's hair "Say... mind if I get you a tissue or something?" she asked after a moment and pointed at her wet shoulder "The last hour left me kinda dripping... and not in the fun way."

The Tenno pushed herself away and mockingly punched Sindr in the stomach. "You're terrible!" she laughed, wiping away the last few tears.

"And you should be grateful for that!" Sindr added "All the cloning labs of Gaia couldn't produce you enough spare-tongues to make it up to me IF I was all awesome."

Ria sighed and scooped a bit backwards. Then she let herself fall forward and wrapped her arms around Sindr's stomach. A dark temple pushed against a pale navel. "I'm tired..." she muttered.

"And thirsty?" The Gineer muttered as she grabbed a pillow to wipe the snot off her shoulder.

"Yes..." Ria sighed "But I don't want to let go."

Sindr nodded quietly and gently patted the Tenno's hair. "I understand. You can stay as long as you need."

The Tenno nodded against Sindr's pecks and snuggled closer, cheek pressed against the hard flesh.

The tall woman couldn't help but smile softly at the display. Then she leaned back and her gaze shifted upwards. Where had things gone so weird? A few days ago, Tenno were nightmares of flesh and steel, unfeeling monsters that cut through her kind. And now, they were an adorable, little woman, who had learned to love being carried and hugged.

"Sindr?" Came Ria's voice after a while.

"Yes?"

The Tenno looked up, her gaze partially blocked by Sindr's heaving chest. "Why are you so good at this?"

"At what?"

"Making me feel better."

The Grineer let out a small huff. "Sexual abuse is rampant among basically all ranks of the Empire. We're hard-wire to never disobey orders. Think no officer ever exploits that?"

Ria's eyes went wide. "Sindr, did yo-"

"No!" Sindr interrupted gently but firmly "I was lucky. I'm not common stock, so I'm less desirable and, well, I'm a huge slut, so most were smart enough to just ask." She paused "Could also have to do with the fact that I was using a very big rifle very close to them. Accidents happen, you know..."

"You know... the more time I spend with you, the less I consider "slut" to be an insult." Ria mused quietly.

"Wait, slut is an insult?"

Ria looked up. "Only when it's not pronounced "Slooot!" she said in a mock-Grineer voice.

"I take that as confirmation that you do feel better now." Sindr laughed. Suddenly she got serious again. "I'm sorry."

"Hm? About what?" Ria asked in honest confusion.

"The way I talked to you... over the last few days. I wouldn't have been so... crass, if I had known."

The Tenno let out a sigh and pulled back a little, to look into Sindr's eyes. "There were moments, when I felt really... squicky." She said calmly, her gaze dropped. She nestled her head against a hard navel. "I know you didn't mean it. Heck, I didn't know that I would feel that way. I don't even really know why. Anyways, it's OK. You have nothing to apologize about."

Sindr nodded slowly. "But it would be kinda useful to know what to watch out for."

"You know that time when you called me... " The Tenno sighed. "And also when you said that my, you know, my Kavat... that I'd feel really good."

"Your Kavat?" The Grineer asked with a hint of bemusement.

"Yeah, my Kavat..." Ria rolled her eyes "The part of me that you finger-banged like you were a Mesa in Rathuum."

Sindr nodded and closed her eyes."You don't like being told that you're fun to fuck." she mused sagely.

"No..." The Tenno groaned "Who would like to hear that?"

"Every Grineer I know..." The taller woman sighed "That's why I said it in the first place. But I guess it's different for us. We are taught to think of ourselves as... I don't know. It feels good to function." She gave a pressed smile "I wanted to weird you out a bit with the vulgarity, but you know... it was supposed to be somewhat of a compliment."

Ria sighed against the pale flesh. "I get it... just..."

"No, I think I see your point." She ran her hand through Ria's hair "What kind of compliment do you like?" Sindr asked quickly "Can I tell you that you're beautiful?"

The Tenno felt her cheeks flush. "Yes." She muttered "I really like that."

"That you're really sexy?" The Grineer continued, a small smirk forming.

"Yes, that's fine too." Ria said, trying not to giggle.

"That you're cute and lovable?"

"You know that you can tell me that..."

"That you're really smart and I admire that?"

A giggle escaped Ria. "Sindr, stop, you're-"

"That your hair and lipstick actually looks really good on you?"

Ria let out a groan. And pushed against Sindr's belly with her hand. "Stop it! I'm getting mushy!"

"Though!" Sindr said very slowly, grabbing the Tenno's hand "You know what would look really good on you?"

The Tenno looked up with confusion. "What?"

"If you did your nails that way too." The Grineer said, eyes on the hand.

"You mean blue?" Ria asked, feeling a bit of mental whiplash. Was Sindr really about to give her fashion tips?

"Yeah! That would look really good..." The taller woman stressed, squeezing her fingers slightly "I know you said that you mostly put on make up for the thrill. But I think you could-"

"YOU think I should doll up?" Ria asked incredulously and pulled back.

"What does 'doll up' mean? I just think that you're really pretty and maybe it would do you good if you actually felt pretty too." Sindr said and firmly.

"And how would that help?" The Tenno asked incredulously.

"I don't know! I just... like... some of the girls I talked to got themselves tattoos and new implants and all that stuff after they dealt with... you know..." The Grineer said with a shrug "Said that it helped them reclaim their bodies or something... look, I know I'm stumbling a bit, but I want you to feel nice and all..."

"You think?"Ria asked carefully, eyes on her fingers now. Maybe it would look nice?

"Well, yes... and... you're gonna clean up soon, so-"

The Tenno looked up. "Hm?"

"I mean, don't get me wrong but... you kinda... smell."

Ria opened her mouth. A few calculations went through her head. Then closed it. Then she took a whiff of her armpit. "VOID! I haven't showered in two days!"

"Yeah... and the exercise from earlier didn't help..." The Grineer added sheepishly.

With a push, Ria got up on the bed. "With the surgery and all, I completely forgot to... urgh!" She jumped up and began to gather her clothes off the floor, giving Sindr a nice view of her shapely butt.

"Come on, does that really bother you?" The Grineer said carefully as she scooped over to the edge of the bed.

The Tenno turned, clothes held before her chest. "Yes!" She said angrily "I'm supposed to be a proud warrior and I spent the last hour of so slobbering on you and now I also stink! This is humiliating!"

"Oh, come on, can't call yourself a warrior if you didn't work up a good sweat now and then." Sindr laughed.

"I beg to differ! I'll be in the shower!" Ria said firmly and turned to go. Then she looked over her shoulder "You coming?"

* * *

Sorry for the massive delay. Things turned really bad on my end. I'll try to get more updates out in the near future. /span/p


End file.
